New Normal
by HeidiBerry
Summary: Takes place after the events of episode 15.17. Deluca and Meredith are still trying to deal with the fallout caused by Andrew's dad, are navigating their new relationship and busy lives, and are ultimately growing closer.
1. Chapter 1

Meredith stood staring at a blank whiteboard in the lab. She had walked over to it knowing exactly what she wanted to write on it, but now she just stands there lost in thought. It had been three days since Andrew's father had left to return to Italy. Andrew had not spent those three days avoiding her technically. He had scrubbed in on two of her surgeries and talked to her when required, but he was not his usual self, and this unnerved her more than she wanted to admit. She had gotten used to their stolen moments everyday. Being near him was becoming a necessity and her new normal. If someone had told her a year ago she would feel so drawn to Dr. Andrew Deluca she would have laughed until she cried. Now here she was essentially pining for him when she should be working. She and Deluca were in a place she definitely had not seen coming, but the last three days had confirmed for her that she was not ready for whatever this was with Andrew to be over.

"Hey, Mer, have I told you how much I love you," Alex said with genuine warmth in his voice as he walked into the lab and over to her.

Meredith continues looking at the whiteboard as Alex walks up. She replies, "Yes, you have told me, but you definitely should tell me more often. What exactly am I being thanked for?"

"For having my back with the board this morning. I was reckless to move forward with Deluca's dad. You warned me, and you were right, but you had my back in the meeting this morning anyways."

"Vincenzo had a really great idea, so I understand why you gave it shot, and in the end no patients got hurt. I had no reason not to support you, Alex."

"Thanks again though just the same," Alex says turning to look at Meredith.

She turns to meet his eyes, and they share a brief warm smile.

Alex ends the sappy moment, "Umm why are we staring at blank whiteboard?"

Meredith turns back to the whiteboard, and says, "I am staring at a blank whiteboard because of Andrew Deluca."

"Things not going so well since Daddy Deluca decided to drop in, huh?"

"Look at this blank whiteboard and you tell me," Meredith said flatly.

"Go talk to him, Mer. He's probably really embarrassed and disappointed."

"I know," Meredith whined. "I want to be there for him, but everything is still so new and undefined. I don't want to overstep."

Alex turns to her and says, "You're my best friend, Mer, and so I know what an amazing and supportive friend you are. Be that for him right now and I think that'll be enough."

Meredith nods and smiles at Alex. His advice has been an actual comfort. Alex left shortly after to return to his office, and Meredith began writing on the whiteboard.

Andrew was working in the pit. This was a relief, because it was a break away from working with Meredith. It was also torture, because he missed her a lot and he wanted to make things right, but he was stuck in a funk. He had not slept well for 4 nights. He laid awake at night replaying all the details of his epic mistakes with his dad and cringing over his immaturity during his exchange with Meredith after the fact. Andrew is angry with himself for trusting his dad and for letting himself be manipulated. He had been hit with a major professional and personal blow, and it had left him reeling. At least that was what he was feeling when Meredith had found him in the research lab 4 nights ago. It is why he had lashed out, and why he had been unable to tell her that he needed her. Plus, they had only been dating for such a short time. He did not know if he was even allowed to need her like this so early on. Their relationship so far was defined by fun and romance, and Andrew was not sure Meredith had signed on for so much drama so soon.

Andrew's shift was over. He had changed into his street clothes and was on his way home to try and finally get some decent sleep. He was walking by the attending's lounge on his way to the elevators when Meredith walked out of the lounge and directly into his path. She stopped in front of him, seemingly as startled as he was, and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment saying nothing.

Meredith spoke first, "Hey."

"Hi," Andrew says while looking at her with the pain of the last few days and intense guilt etched on his handsome but sad face.

Meredith knows she will have to be the one to make the first gesture. She gives him a warm smile and says, "I am actually glad I've run into you. I wanted to talk. Can we talk?"

"Yea, I would like that" Andrew says wearing his first small smile in days, "I was gonna go home and order in. Would you like to join me?"

Meredith shook her head yes, and they headed towards the elevator. They said nothing as they waited for the elevator doors to open and nothing as they stepped inside. The silence continued once the doors closed. Meredith and Andrew stood side by side arms close but not touching. Meredith reaches over to take his hand in hers, and Andrew grabs on. The silence goes from uncomfortable to comfortable just by the small physical contact. The act of holding hands saying plenty amid the otherwise quiet and low hum of the elevator. Meredith leans her head on his shoulder. There were still things they needed to say to each other, but she already knew they'd be ok.


	2. Chapter 2

Meredith and Deluca arrived at his place in almost no time. His condo was less than ten minutes away from the hospital. They had engaged in some light conversation during the ride. She told him about Zola's stellar report card, how Bailey had asked to start karate classes, and how Ellis was obsessed with a new hip hop song. She told him about Amelia moving back in with her, and that she was with the kids tonight for as long as Meredith needed.

Inside the condo Deluca had left to grab take out menus and Meredith was taking a minute to look around. The place was sparsely decorated, but had little touches of him throughout. His guitar case sat in a corner of the living room, medical journals on the small kitchen table, he has no television perched in front of the couch, but he has a large stereo and large speakers where a tv might have been. On either side of the stereo system are bookshelves filled with books, albums, cds, and other personal items. She walked by the bookshelves taking in his musical and book tastes and looking at photos. There's a picture of what must be a young elementary aged Andrew sitting on a scooter with a young Vincenzo Deluca standing behind him. His dad's hand is on Andrew's shoulder, and both are smiling warmly. Meredith's heart hurts for the young boy in the photo. She knows the heartache that awaits him in the future.

Andrew walks in from the kitchen holding several menus. He's looking at one and says, "Hey, I'm not sure what you're in the mood for. I was thinking of ordering Chinese. Hunan's is still open if that sounds good to you."

Meredith does not really care what they eat. "Hunan's sounds great. Whatever you order just get enough for two. I'm not feeling picky," she replies.

Andrew nods, pulls out his cell phone, and begins the call to order their food. Meredith tells him she's gonna go check out the rest of his place, and he just nods while continuing with his call.

A few minutes later Andrew walks back to his bedroom and finds Meredith sitting at the foot of his bed. He walks over and sits next to her.

"It's going to be about 25 minutes," he says looking at her.

"Ok," Meredith replies. They sit in silence for a moment, then she continues, "I am so sorry about everything that happened with your dad, Andrew."

Andrew's head drops a little. He looks away from her.

"I know we're just starting to really get to know each other, and it's hard for me to know exactly what you need from me right now, but I want to be here for you. I feel like I need to be here for you. I care about you." Meredith takes his hand in hers as she continues, "I have missed you these last several days. The distance between us was unsettling, and I figured out that I would rather be here for you through this hard time than being shutout and closed off from you."

Andrew turns to look at her. His eyes are wet, and he takes a moment before speaking.

"I should be apologizing to you, Meredith. I lashed out at you and accused you of wanting to rub my face in the fact that you were right. I know that's not the kind of person you are, and I'm really sorry."

Meredith leans in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. The kiss is full of longing. "I accept your apology," she replies.

Andrew continues looking in her eyes and let's the words spill out he's been holding in for days, "My father manipulated me, Meredith, and like my sister said I let him. He told me he had heard of your brilliance all the way in Italy. He told me you were out of my league, and that he wanted to help me make a name for myself so I could deserve you."

Meredith is taken aback. She had no idea this was part of the reason Andrew had wanted to be apart of his father's research project. She had thought it had just been about him being hopeful his father was doing better, but to hear it had been about their relationship too was surprising information. She knows that Maggie told her he had been uncomfortable with Maggie being his boss, and although he had not seemed bothered by that with Meredith she was now concerned. She could not be with any man intimidated by her power. No matter how drawn to him she felt.

Andrew can see that she's surprised by his admission. He looks down at the floor before continuing, "I wanted to believe my dad was okay. I wanted to help him accomplish something that could save so many lives. I wanted to help him find redemption after he killed those four patients. I also wanted to be put on the map. I wanted to be apart of something groundbreaking. I wanted to be a man and a doctor you could be proud to be with."

Meredith has tears forming in her eyes now. Andrew's words have affected her deeply. She asks him to look at her, and she sees the tears in his eyes too. She takes a deep breath and says,

"Right before you told me how you felt and right before you said that you wanted to be a dating option for me I told you that you were a brave doctor. I don't just give those compliments out to everyone. You're one of the bravest men I've ever met. You're also one of the most compassionate. The way you care for your patients, how hard you work, and how much joy practicing medicine brings you are all things that make you an amazing doctor, Andrew."

She can tell her words mean so much to him and that he needed to hear this. She was about to continue when they hear the doorbell. They both get up and walk to the living room. Andrew goes to the front door to sign for their food, and Meredith heads to the kitchen to grab two bottles of water from the fridge.

They don't pick up their previous conversation over dinner. They both seem to understand without even saying that they need a break to digest not only their food, but to also digest what was said back in the bedroom. Things are a little awkward, but only because they both feel the weight of all the things still left unsaid. They finish up eating, and Andrew gets up and walks over to one of his bookshelves.

Meredith looks on and asks, "What are you doing, Dr. Deluca?"

He is looking through some of his vinyl albums and he finds what he's looking for. "I want to play you a song I love if that's ok," he says, and Meredith nods smiling.

Andrew walks over to the stereo, puts the album on the record player, and drops the needle. The song starts to play, and the soft vocal from Corinne Bailey Rae begins,

"Just like a star across my sky  
Just like an angel off the page  
You have appeared to my life  
Feel like I'll never be the same  
Just like a song in my heart  
Just like oil on my hands  
Oh, I do love you"

Deluca walks over to the couch where Meredith is sitting, and he extends a hand to ask her for a dance. She shakes her head no at first, feeling a little bashful especially after the first part of their conversation, but Andrew does not take no for an answer, and by the second verse he is holding her close as they sway together to the music.

Meredith is lost in the smell of his cologne, lost in the music, lost in the feel of his heartbeat as her head rests against his chest, and she's lost in how safe she feels in his arms.

Andrew knows they have to finish their talk, but after dinner the song just popped into his head, and before he could stop himself he was turning on his stereo. Music had always been a way for him to express himself when mere words did not seem to be enough. He started playing the guitar and writing songs to cope with his family breaking apart. It just felt natural to put on some music that reflected how he felt about Meredith and to dance with her.

The song ends and they share a long kiss. Andrew pulls away and goes over to turn the record player off, and Meredith sits back on the sofa.

Meredith says, "You're not out of my league, Andrew. I'm not even sure what that means. When Derek died I thought my life was over. I wanted to die too. Even when I realized I was not dead and had to go on living for my children I still never fully recovered. I focused on my kids, my career, and that has been enough for me for a long time. I never expected to feel anything real for anyone else ever again."

Andrew comes over to sit next to her again. They take each other's hand again, and Meredith continues,

"I don't know what happened when you kissed me at that wedding, but it unlocked something in me that I thought had died with Derek. I resisted it and ignored it. You had just lost Sam, you had dated my sister, and I am an attending. I had plenty of reasons to ignore my growing feelings, but the biggest reason was I was afraid. I am afraid. I'm afraid of losing another person I love. I'm afraid of needing anyone, because I can't stand to lose anyone else. I'm facing that fear now, because I already need you in my life. I already don't want to lose you. How you make me feel, how I'm more alive now than I've been in years, how you make me smile and laugh, how sexy you are when you look right into my soul and tilt your head, how your curls sometimes fall softly on your forehead, and yes, how you're an amazing and compassionate doctor all make you very much in my league. You're in my league because you make me happy. I'm proud to be dating you, because you're a good guy."

Meredith stops talking for a moment. She had opened up and was surprised herself by the words that had flowed out from her. Andrew was about to say something, but she stopped him and said, "I can't be with anyone who can't handle who I am. I'm powerful, I am brilliant, and I'm your boss still. You need to be ok with all of that. You need to be ok with the dynamics of our relationship or this won't work."

Andrew was overwhelmed by everything Meredith said. She had never opened up to him this much, and this new level of intimacy was a welcome surprise. All the things she had said about him were so reassuring, and he needed to reassure her now.

Andrew responds, "I am not intimidated by your brilliance. It's one of many things I love about you. You're such a surgical badass, and learning from you has been so important to my growth as a doctor. My desire to be deserving of you was because I know how amazing you are, and sometimes I forget I'm a pretty great doctor myself. My dad preyed on the one insecurity I had, but I should have known better. I should have trusted that I don't need to jump through hoops to impress you. What's happening between us is new, but being with you is my new normal Meredith, and I just don't want to lose you."

Meredith and Andrew lean in and touch forehead to forehead. They kiss. Meredith thinks about how she had thought about that same phrase earlier in the day. This was their new normal, and like all relationships this would take work, but it was worth it.

"Are we good now," Andrew asks. He's looking in her eyes for an answer. She kisses him again. This time the kiss is deep, long, and steamy.

Meredith finally responds after the kiss ends, "Yes, Dr. Deluca. We're perfect."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone. This is only my 2nd time ever writing fanfiction, so I have been nervous to share it. I just hate how there's not a lot of Merluca stories being written, so I took it upon myself to contribute. I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my fanfic especially those who have left such great and encouraging comments. Initially I was only gonna write one chapter, but requests for more made me write the 2nd chapter. I honestly thought I had gotten everything out that I was inspired to write, but I'm having so much fun with it, and I love Merluca so much I'm gonna try to keep this going. I decided to try to write about their first time. I wanted to make it detailed, but not too smutty. Please leave feedback to let me know what you think. -Heidi**

Meredith was in Andrew's restroom when she got a text from Amelia telling her the kids were in bed, and that Amelia was downstairs entertaining Link in the living room. Meredith had no idea when Amelia and Link started hanging out, but she knew it was not fair to feel weird about it. She was with Andrew, and she was happy. Meredith knows Link is a good guy, and after everything Amelia has been through with Owen she deserves to have some uncomplicated fun with a sweet guy.

She texted Amelia back that she was not sure exactly when she'd be home, but that she would definitely be back before the kids woke up. She also told Amelia thanks for babysitting, and that she was happy to hear that Amelia and Link were becoming good friends.

Meredith stood checking out her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She and Andrew had talked out all their issues tonight, and now she was unsure what was next. They had made plans in a hospital supply closet earlier in the week to hangout at his place, but this was before the blow up with his dad. In her mind the potential for sex was definitely implied when they made those plans, and them having sex was definitely long overdue. Their previous plans to make love had been interrupted by family members multiple times, and she knew he was as ready to move forward as she was. Was tonight the night though? It had been an emotional evening and she was feeling slightly drained. Never mind the fact that DeLuca had gone through a lot this week. She wondered if he was even in the mood.

Andrew was nervous. He was finally alone with Meredith at his place, and with their busy schedules he did not want to waste this opportunity to get even closer to her. He dreamed about being with her, and all these months of cat and mouse plus these last several weeks of dating had only increased his desire for her exponentially. He was not sure how long she could stay and he was not sure if she was ready to take that next step tonight, but he was willing to test the waters. He put some romantic music on low, and waited for Meredith to return from the restroom.

"My sister just texted me. All my kids are in bed, and everything at home is fine," Meredith said walking back into the living room. She took a seat again on the couch. She noticed Andrew had turned down some of the lights and had turned on some romantic music.

"That's great," Andrew replied. "Amelia living with you does have it's advantages."

Meredith nodded.

Andrew moved closer to her on the couch. Meredith can tell he is putting the moves on her, and all her questions in the bathroom are answered. Andrew definitely wants something to happen tonight, but does she? Her hesitation melts instantly as she cannot help but instantly be drawn into his spell. He is so handsome, and after their talk tonight she feels more feelings for him than ever before.

"Mer, I have an embarrassing confession to make," Andrew says in a soft voice while smiling shyly.

"Oh, you do, huh?" Meredith replies.

Andrew continues, "Yes, ever since I kissed you at Jo and Alex's wedding I have had these really sexy dreams about us. It was torture months ago, but now it's more like fuel for the fire."

Meredith let's out a laugh and says, "Well, guess what?"

"What?" Andrew asks.

Meredith smiles and leans in for a kiss before continuing, "I've had quite a few steamy dreams about you too."

Andrew laughs now, and they begin to kiss again. Andrew traces kisses from her mouth, down Meredith's neck, and travels up and over to her ear. He whispers, "I want you, Meredith," and Meredith runs her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck and pulls him back gently by those hairs so that she can look him in the eye when she replies,

"I want you too."

They begin kissing each other again harder and with a new sense of urgency. Their hands are traveling all over each other's bodies. Andrew feels Meredith's breasts through her shirt. They carry on this way for a few minutes before Andrew suggests they relocate to his bedroom. Meredith agrees and they start to move towards his bedroom never losing physical contact with each other and removing pieces of clothing between kisses.

When they reach the bedroom they have both removed their shirts, shoes, and Andrew's jeans are unbuttoned. He proceeds to remove his pants and boxer briefs. He's standing in front of a half dressed Meredith in all his glory, and she cannot help but drink in the sight. He's an Italian dream, and he's all hers. Meredith leads him to the bed, kissing him as he walks backwards, and Andrew lands at the foot of the bed where he plops down sitting upright. She's standing in front of him, and she begins a strip tease. First, she starts with removing her bra, then her pants, until all that is left are her panties. She climbs into his lap. His hard manhood rubbing between her legs making her even wetter. Their kisses are deep and express a real hunger. She runs her hands through his hair, and Andrew is holding her close. His arms wrapped around her. He stands up holding her, and her legs wrap around his waist. He turns around to face the bed, and lays her down on it while using his arms to hold himself up over her.

Andrew cannot believe they are finally here. It is better than he had ever dreamed about. Hearing Meredith moan underneath him is driving him wild with desire.

Meredith is overcome with emotion. This is the first time since Derek that she's felt this strongly, about a man, and the sensations Andrew is creating with each kiss and each touch are overwhelming.

Andrew starts kissing her again, and begins tracing kisses down her body until his lips touch the lace fabric of her panties. He grabs at the waistband of her underwear with his teeth. Meredith moans loudly. He lets go and continues to kiss further and further down until he is between her legs, and kissing her most sensitive spot over her panties. He brings his left hand down from where he had been massaging her right breast, and pulls her panties to the side. He begins to taste her in earnest, and Meredith's body reacts positively to his efforts. Andrew keeps going this way until Meredith trembles beneath him letting him know she's ready. He kisses his way back up her body traveling back up to her mouth, and they kiss passionately for a moment. They both work to finally remove Meredith's panties. Meredith reaches down to feel Andrew's hardness.

They stop for a moment so that Andrew can reach over into his nightstand for a condom. He rolls it on, and resumes his position on top of Meredith with her legs spread on both sides of him. She strokes little DeLuca again several times while they kiss, and then she aims him towards her wetness and helps him inside. Andrew moans loudly. He pushes into her, and they both begin to lose control. Their bodies rock back and forth all over the bed, the sheets come undone in the process, and their bodies are gleaming with sweat. They switch positions multiple times perfectly in sync with each other even though this is their first time. Maybe the dreams have prepared them for this, because neither is bashful. They do not know exactly what the other one needs and wants, but both are taking directions well and letting the other lead when necessary.

Close to thirty minutes later they've both erupted in pure bliss, Meredith more than once, and they lay spent in each other's arms. Andrew is stroking Meredith's arm, as she lays tucked in next to him with her head on his chest.

"That was way better than all the dreams," Andrew boasts.

"Wayyyyy better," Meredith agrees.

Meredith raises her head to look up at her boyfriend, and she kisses his chin.

They lay in silence for a bit as both come down from the intense high they just experienced. Meredith reaches out for her phone and sets the alarm to wake her in a few hours.

"I'm gonna have to leave around four AM, so i can be home and in bed long before my kids wake up," Meredith tells him.

"Ok," Andrew replies before giving her a kiss.

He gets up a little to reach over and grab the bottle of water on his nightstand. It's not cold, but he's beyond thirsty. Meredith tugs on the bottle effectively letting him know he has to share, and he saves half of it for her before handing it over. Meredith finishes it off, and hands it back to Andrew who sits the empty bottle back on the nightstand. He grabs his pillow and adjusts it underneath his head. Meredith remains tucked in next to him her head resting on his chest again while he grabs the blanket that's now almost falling off his bed and pulls it up and over them. They settle in for some much needed sleep, and Andrew knows it is going to the best sleep he has had in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! First, thanks for taking the time to read my story. I appreciate it a lot, and a special thanks to everyone who has left kind feedback. When I decided to keep this story going I had to figure out where we would go next after Meredith and Andrew talk things out, and I've basically decided that I'll just keep introducing little bits of drama to see how they deal with it as they continue navigating this new relationship. Again, I hope you enjoy.**

Amelia was in the kitchen around seven thirty AM when Meredith walked in to get breakfast together for the kids.

"Hey there, missy," Amelia says in a teasing tone, "What time did you get in?"

Meredith is avoiding eye contact with her sister, but replies, "It was a little after four in the morning."

"Sooo how was it with the Italian Stallion?" Amelia said with a grin.

Meredith who is too easily embarrassed wants to change the subject.

"What's going on with you and Link?"

Amelia smiles just a little bigger at the mention of his name, and responds, "It was supposed to be just a one time fling at the conference in San Diego, but then the blue room happened, so I guess we're just… having some fun. He came over last night so we could work on some ideas for pain management plans tailored for recovering addicts."

Meredith looks slightly skeptical. She lays out two bowls of cereal, begins to prepare one bowl of oatmeal, and calls the kids down to eat.

"The blue room, huh? That's definitely not what it was intended for. What about Owen?" Meredith asks.

Amelia grabs the coffee pot and pours some of the dark brown liquid into her travel mug. She takes a small sip before answering, "Owen and I are divorced and no longer together. I'm trying to move forward. This thing with Link might just be a brief rebound, but things with Owen are definitely over."

Meredith nods, and the kids come spilling into the kitchen for their breakfast.

"I'm heading to the hospital. I have a craniotomy at 10," Amelia says heading towards the stairs.

"Mama, can we have pizza for dinner tonight?" Zola asks between bites of oatmeal.

"We'll see when we get home tonight, Zozo," Meredith replies.

Meredith and the kids eventually are ready to leave, and with arms full of book bags, purses, and jackets they pile into the car to head to school, daycare, and work.

Andrew woke up at six AM, and was a little sad to remember that Meredith was gone. He did wake up when her alarm went off earlier, but had rolled over and fallen back to sleep as soon as she kissed him goodbye. He is on Dr. Shepard's service today, and he needs to get to the hospital early to do rounds and then prep their patient for a ten AM surgery. He texted Meredith to tell her how amazing the previous night was, and that he hopes she has a great morning before getting up and hopping into the shower.

Andrew got to the hospital a little after 7, and shortly thereafter got a text notification. It was Meredith telling him she also had a great time last night. She asks him if he can meet her for coffee around eight thirty, but he texts back that he's on Amelia's service today and will be prepping for surgery around that time. They make tentative plans for a late lunch date.

Andrew walks into the scrub room a couple minutes before ten, and Amelia is already in there scrubbing. Amelia immediately starts with her teasing, "I haven't commented all morning, but you look super relaxed today, Dr. DeLuca. Anything new going on?"

Andrew looks at her with a small smile on his face. He knows exactly what she's insinuating. He doesn't know exactly what Meredith has told Amelia about them, but he figures she knows where Meredith was last night.

"No, I just had a relaxing night. After a really tough week it was nice to finally relieve some stress," DeLuca replies.

"Ah. I know a little something about stress relief activities. What worked for you? Any new miracle stress relief methods I need to know about?" Amelia's tone is playful and light.

"Well, let's just say I was in the company of a beautiful and brilliant woman. She has a way of just making everything better," Andrew says as he smiles at Amelia. She returns the smile before turning away from the large basin.

"Ah. She sounds like a keeper, Dr. DeLuca. See you in there," Amelia says while backing into the OR.

Meredith had arrived at the hospital around eight thirty and headed straight for the lab. She had thought of an idea for her digestible diagnostic device, and decided to hand off her surgeries for another day to work on it. She had been in the lab all morning, and around two o'clock decided to take a break. She was still waiting for Andrew to get out of surgery for their lunch date, and she knew unless he and Amelia had run into complications he should be texting her any moment to confirm that he's ready.

Meredith was heading to the attendings lounge when Schmitt approached her to tell her that a patient in room 407 was saying that he knew her and was hoping she has time to stop by his room for a minute to say hello. Meredith looks puzzled.

"What's the patient's name?" Meredith asks.

Levi shrugged then replied, "I'm not sure, Dr. Grey. Helm asked me to tell you, because she was pulled into a surgery and didn't have time to find you. She didn't tell me the patient's name."

"Ok, Schmitt thanks for letting me know," Meredith says dismissing Levi. She is curious who this person is, so she turns around to head to room 407.

During their surgery at multiple junctures Amelia lets Andrew take the reins to perform various procedures, and he knocks it out of the park. They don't talk anymore about Meredith, but while they're finishing up the surgery he lets it slip out that he can't wait to tell Meredith about how much he got to do while assisting with this craniotomy. Amelia's eyes smile at him, and he blushes slightly beneath his mask.

After getting his patient settled post surgery, Andrew texts Meredith to see if she can still meet up for lunch. She doesn't text back immediately, so he heads over to the board to see if she's in a surgery. She doesn't have any scheduled surgeries on the board, so he looks for her in the lab, but doesn't find her there either. Andrew was about to give up trying to find her when he hears her laugh coming from a patient room somewhere on this hall. He walks down the hall looking in each room for her until he finds her smiling and laughing with a male patient. Andrew clears his throat to get Meredith's attention, and she looks up at him, smiles, and waves him into the room.

"Dr. DeLuca, I would like to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Finn Dandridge," Meredith says Finn's name warmly.

Andrew walks into the room, shakes Finn's hand, and says hello. He then turns his attention back to Meredith.

"I texted you to see if you wanted to grab lunch still, but I see you're catching up with your friend, so I'll check in with you later," Andrew says this hoping she'll insist they keep their lunch plans, but Meredith agrees with him that she wants to catch up with Finn, and tells Andrew that she'll find him later.

A little later Andrew runs into Chief Karev, and Alex asks him if he's seen Meredith.

"Yeah, she's in room 407 catching up with a patient who is an old friend," Andrew replies.

"Old friend?" Alex asks.

"Yeah, she said his name is Finn, I think," Andrew says while looking at the information on the tablet he's holding.

"Her old boyfriend, Finn?" Alex asks.

"Finn is her ex-boyfriend?" Andrew is surprised to hear this.

"If it's the same Finn, then yes," Alex says while walking towards the elevators to likely head down to room 407.

Andrew thinks back to everything he saw while in the room with them. He's reviewing his memories with the new knowledge of who Finn is, but nothing sets off any warning bells, so he decides not to worry about it. He is not gonna be the insecure guy who is overly possessive. After last night he knows they're in a good place.

Andrew was checking on his patients after lunch, and while near room 407 he decides to check to see if Meredith was still catching up with Finn. Andrew sticks his head in, but finds that Meredith is no longer there. Finn sees him, and tells him that she had to leave a while ago to help Dr. Karev on a case.

Andrew thanks him for the information and is about to turn and leave when Finn stops him, and asks him to come in. Andrew turns back around and walks over to Finn's bedside.

Finn smiles and says, "You seem like you're a good friend of Dr. Grey. She told me today about Derek dying. I lost my first wife years ago in a car crash, so I know what a horrible experience that is."

Andrew doesn't know what to say. He wasn't expecting Finn to want to talk to him about Meredith, but Andrew tells Finn he's sorry to hear about his wife.

Finn continues, "Thank you, but she died a really long time ago. I still miss her all the time, but it's not painful like it was back then. Speaking of painful, I haven't seen Meredith in over a decade, but she's still just as beautiful as she was the day she broke my heart."

Andrew didn't even know Finn and Meredith had a history until today, and he hadn't had an opportunity to discuss it with Meredith yet, so he's uncomfortable with this exchange and speaks up, "I'm sorry Mr. Dandridge. I thought you needed to speak to me regarding your case."

Finn's expression sours a little and he replies, "I'm sorry Dr. DeLuca. It's just been a trip seeing Meredith again. I didn't want to talk about her to someone who doesn't know her well, but don't let me take up anymore of your time. I know all of you doctors are very busy."

Andrew nods, and turns to walk out of the room. He is not sure what to make of Finn's comments, but the man still seems enamored with Meredith to say the least. Andrew does not like this uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Meredith was looking at the scans of Alex's patient that she is giving him a consult on when a text comes in from Andrew, "Umm just talked to Finn again. I think he still likes you."

Meredith didn't know what to reply. It was nice seeing Finn earlier, but she had not thought about him in 12 years before seeing him today. She decides to laugh it off and replies, "I'm a hard woman to get over," and adds a laughing emoji.

There was no reply from Andrew.

Meredith already doesn't like where this is going.


	5. Chapter 5

Meredith had been planning to spend her entire day working on her ingestible diagnostic device, but Alex came to her with a tough case and after helping him crack it she joined him in the OR to perform the surgery.

"So what's the deal with, Finn?" Alex says while cutting into their patient.

"There's no deal with, Finn. I haven't seen him in twelve years," Meredith replies.

"No, duh, Mer. I mean why is he here in the hospital?" Alex responds.

"Oh. Uh, he has a bad ulcer. Apparently, being a vet can be as stressful as being a medical doctor." Alex says nothing in response and Meredith continues, "He had a private chat with Dr. DeLuca today, and Andrew thinks he's still sweet on me."

Alex laughs and says, "It's 2007 all over again. You have two handsome boyfriends. One with great hair and one who heals sick puppies. It's like history repeating itself."

"I do not have two boyfriends!" Meredith says dramatically.

Alex looks up and over at his best friend, "Yeah, well you better make sure The Italian doesn't get the wrong idea. He's a little like I was back then when jumping to the wrong conclusions was my life. He bore the brunt of one of my wrong conclusions once."

Meredith meets Alex's eyes, but says nothing. She'd mentioned the incident recently to Alex, in a joking way, but it is honestly hard to think about what Alex did to Andrew now that Meredith cares for Andrew so much. Alex putting her boyfriend in the hospital isn't a pleasant memory to look back on. She says nothing more about Andrew or Finn, and they continue on with their surgery and discussing other topics.

After Meredith scrubs out she checks her phone and there are two texts from Andrew, "I don't blame the guy for still being into you. You're amazing." And "I'm going to grab dinner with my sister. I hope your surgery is going well."

Meredith can't tell if Andrew is upset or not by these texts. The last one was sent just 24 minutes ago, so she doesn't want to call him and interrupt his dinner. She decides to just text, "The surgery went well, thanks. I'm going to head home and order pizza for the kids at Zola's request. Call me later."

Meredith goes to change, and on her way out decides to check back in with Finn. She walks into his room and finds him sitting up in his bed reading.

"What you reading?" Meredith says walking over to his bedside.

Finn looks up from his book with a smile and replies, "A fantasy novel. I never get to read anything fun. It's always newspapers or Vet journals, so while I'm here getting well I figured I would finally try to finish this fantasy series I started reading years ago."

"Is it good?" Meredith asks.

"It's great actually. I'm kind of sad all these years passed before I could actually get around to reading and enjoying it, but things have a way of happening how they should I guess," Finn says with a smile.

Meredith smiles too, and then she says, "Dr. DeLuca is my boyfriend."

Finn's head tilts a little as he takes in the information. "Oh," he says.

"Oh?" Meredith repeats.

"What's his McNickname?" Finn asks.

Meredith laughs. "He doesn't have one. I'm not a young intern anymore, but if he had one I'd vote for McCharming."

Finn smiles again and says, "Well now I feel awkward having told him I still think you're beautiful."

Meredith smiles.

Finn goes on, "You know, I always knew deep down I'd done the right thing honoring your choice once you made your decision, but part of me always wished I had fought a little harder for you."

Meredith's smile fades she says softly, "It wouldn't have mattered. He was the one. He was always the one."

Finn smiles sadly then he says, "Is this McCharming the one now?"

Meredith looks off out the window for a moment. She thinks to herself, "Is Andrew the one?" She finally looks back at Finn and responds, "Yes, I think he might be."

They talk some more for a bit. He tells her about his second marriage that lasted for 7 years. She shows him pictures of her kids. He tells her about how his vet practice is going. She tells him about all the success she's had in recent years. They chat this way for a while, before she tells him that she has to get going so she can have dinner with her kids. They hug and she promises to check in with him again before he's discharged.

Meredith picks up one cheese and one supreme pizza on the way home, and is mobbed by happy little people as soon as she walks through the door. She thanks her nanny for picking the kids up and getting them bathed. Now Meredith can just eat dinner with them and enjoy their company until bedtime. The kids get in bed at eight thirty, and Meredith decides to take a hot bath. While she's soaking her cell phone rings. She might have ignored it a few weeks ago, but knowing it might be Andrew she wipes her hands dry and reaches for her cell. It is Andrew. "Hi," Meredith answers and puts him on speakerphone.

"Hey, Mer," Andrew answers back.

"How was dinner with your sister?" Meredith asks.

"It was great. We decided on breakfast, so we went to the 5 Point Cafe."

"Hmmm," Meredith moans, "That sounds amazing."

"It was. I took Carina out so I could finally truly apologize to her for not listening about our dad, and to tell her how strong she is. She's always been the one to deal with him, mostly by herself, and because of that she's my hero. Maybe I didn't really appreciate her until now, but I do, and it was way past time I told her."

Meredith is proud of him, and tells him so.

They chat about their surgeries that day. He tells her about his craniotomy. She tells him about Alex's case, and then she mentions Finn, "I talked to him again before I left for the day. I told him you're my boyfriend."

Andrew is silent on the other end.

"Well?" Meredith continues, "You have nothing to say?"

Andrew replies, "What do you want me to say, Mer? That I'm a little concerned about your handsome ex-boyfriend's continued feelings for you?"

"If that's what you're feeling, Andrew, then yes."

"Do I have anything to be worried about, Meredith?" Andrew asks.

Meredith immediately responds with, "No, Andrew. Not at all. You're the only handsome man I'm interested in."

"Good," Andrew replies, "Because you're the only beautiful woman I'm interested in."

Meredith smiles and they continue talking until her fingers are wrinkly from the water.

"I've got to finish my bath, but you're off tomorrow too aren't you? Meredith asks.

"Yeah. It's been a week since I had a day off," Andrew replies.

"Well I know you might just want to relax, but the kids don't have school tomorrow, and I want to take them to the Aquarium...would you like to come along?"

Andrew is a little taken aback. He and Meredith had never really talked about when Andrew might start to spend time with her and the kids. Things are still new, and he trusts her to know what's right where her kids are concerned. If she was inviting him to hangout with them that was a big deal. He was nervous but excited at the same time.

Meredith is made nervous by his lack of reply and she continues, "They already know you as Dr. DeLuca and as Aunt Maggie's friend. I don't think we should tell them right away that you're my boyfriend, but maybe we can just re-introduce you as _my _friend, and take it from there."

"I'd love to go to the Aquarium with you and the kids. It sounds like a lot of fun, and if you want to hold off on telling them about us that's perfectly ok. I just look forward to getting to know them better."

Meredith smiles at his answer, and after a few more minutes of making plans and saying good night they hang up. Meredith lets some more hot water into the tub, and thinks of Derek now. She knows he would want her to be happy. He wouldn't want her to raise their kids alone stuck in her grief over his death, but inviting Andrew to spend time with her kids makes all of this real. She's really moving on. She takes a deep breath and reaches for her body wash. All she can think about now is that she hopes tomorrow goes well and that her kids like Andrew as much as she does.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everybody. This is what I was inspired to write, so...I hope everyone enjoys. As always thanks for reading. -HB**

Meredith heard his motorcycle as soon as he turned on her street. He's always on time, but never complains when Meredith is a little late. It's one of the things she likes about him. She happens to be just a few feet from the window, so she walks over to watch him pull up. Meredith has to admit she enjoys the sight of her very sexy Italian boyfriend in his leather jacket pulling up on his black motorcycle. Yes, she hates the idea of him riding that dangerous thing, but the sight of him on it makes her want to do things other take trips to the aquarium. The kids are playing loudly in Ellis' room as Meredith walks by towards the stairs. There's no backing out now.

Andrew raises his finger to the doorbell, but the door opens before he can push it.

"Hi," Meredith says trying not to sound nervous at all, "I heard you pull up." She steps back to let him in.

"Good morning," Andrew says cheerfully while walking past Meredith into the house. Meredith closes the door and turns around. Andrew turns to face her. He steps into the space directly in front of her, looks down at her, and reaches out his left hand to grab her right hand. "Where are the kids?"

Their faces are close almost touching.

"They're upstairs in Ellis' room playing," Meredith says softly. They never lose eye contact.

In Italian Andrew says, "I need to kiss you."

"Three little humans could run down here any minute," Meredith says turning slowly to walk away. Andrew stops her and pulls her into his arms.

He smiles and replies, "Then we better make it quick."

Meredith leans up and their lips come together quickly and passionately. Andrew hugs her tightly, and Meredith melts into him. Andrew stops abruptly and pulls away. Meredith looks at him puzzled and Andrew says seriously, "I've been promised a trip to the Aquarium. I'm ready to see some sharks."

Meredith playfully rolls her eyes, and walks over to the staircase where she stops at the first step and yells, "Zola! Bailey! Please come down and bring your sister!" The kids spill down the stairs, and Zola is standing near her mom waiting for instructions while Bailey is practicing something like tai chi slowly circling his mom and Zola. Ellis is just mimicking her brother. Meredith isn't phased.

"Ok, so here's the deal we're going to have a friend come with us to the aquarium today. You guys remember Dr. DeLuca, right? All three kids look at Andrew and shake their heads up and down. Bailey stops his tai chi, and so does Ellis.

"Um, you guys can just call me Andrew," Andrew says giving all three kids a smile. He walks towards them, and continues, "Your mom told me you guys were going to the aquarium today, and I love the aquarium, so she was nice enough to let me come along. Is that cool with you guys?"

The kids don't reply. There is silence for what seems like too long. Meredith gets a little nervous. Was this too soon? Had she moved too fast?

Then Bailey closes the gap between he and Andrew, he looks up and says, "What do you love about the aquarium?"

Andrew puts his right hand on Bailey's shoulder. He answers, "I love the sharks. Shark week should be a school holiday."

"I love the snakes," Bailey says.

Andrew nods knowingly, and responds, "Snakes are my number two fave. For sure." Andrew starts to wiggle his body like a snake and the kids laugh.

"Mom, can I bring my Ipad?" Zola asks. Ellis is dancing and singing now. Meredith looks at Andrew. He's got Zola's approval. He's in the squad now. She smiles at him.

"Yes, you all can bring your tablets," Meredith replies, and she leads everyone into the kitchen where there is a backpack on one of the chairs. Meredith needs to finish packing everything they need.

Andrew comes over to Meredith and stands right by her side facing her. He's almost close enough for them to be touching.

"Let me help you with something," he says in that stupid charming way he says everything. She looks at him just in time to see his head tilt a little. He's giving her _that_ look again.

Meredith blushes, "We might have to employ all the workplace rules today. You're not allowed to look at me like that." She tells him she doesn't need his help this time, because she's almost done. Andrew smiles, steps past Meredith, and walks over to Zola to ask her what she's looking at on her Ipad. Those two fall into easy conversation as Meredith finishes up.

They all eventually pile into Meredith's car, and a few hours later they're almost done at the aquarium. Meredith thinks the trip is going well. Andrew is his usual funny self. He has an easy and warm demeanor that Meredith enjoys very much and she is happy to see that apparently her kids do too. She's curious how he's feeling though. Ellis is in her stroller, and Zola is pushing it while Bailey is holding on. Meredith and Andrew are walking right behind them.

"Are you having fun?" Meredith asks.

Andrew leans in close and responds, "Do I lose cool points if I admit I really do love coming to the aquarium?"

"No, I think that puts you in the plus column," Meredith says affectionately. She leans her head on his shoulder for a few seconds then they all pull up at a large tank.

"That's a Gecko, Andrew," Bailey says pointing into the tank.

"Ewwww," Ellis says.

"His colors are lit," Andrew says walking closer to the glass and bending down to see it better. Andrew and the kids all look into the lizard tank and Meredith is laughing

"Lit?" Meredith says and shakes her head.

"What? I know what the kids are saying," Andrew and Meredith laugh and she walks up close so Bailey can show her the lizard.

They all go to get a bite to eat after the aquarium, and then Andrew suggests a trip to the park. All three kids excitedly agree that's a good idea. Meredith doesn't need any convincing. They pull up at the park and Zola helps her siblings get unbuckled from their seats. They jump from the car and Meredith and Andrew walk behind the speedwalking kids.

"Can we go play, Mom?" Zola asks.

"Yes, watch out for your brother!"

Zola and Bailey go off. Meredith takes Ellis' hand and leads her to a swing. She lifts Ellis in, and Andrew walks behind Ellis to push. Meredith stands to the side.

Andrew pushes Ellis gently, and Ellis is loving it. Meredith looks over to check on Zola and Bailey. It's not crowded today, so they're easy to spot playing on the nearby playset. Meredith looks over at Andrew. He's pushing Ellis, making sure she doesn't swing too high, and he's never been more handsome to her than right now.

"It's not like this everyday," Meredith says to Andrew. He turns to look at her, but keeps pushing Ellis. Meredith continues, "Somedays all three are cranky, tired, patience testing little humans that can make me, their own mother, want to pull my hair out. Everyday isn't fun trips to the park."

Andrew looks down at Ellis and then back at Meredith before responding, "I don't know if I love anything as much as I love saving lives, but hanging with you guys today... If the price to pay for this is a little hair loss I can take it." He smiles and adds, "These curls are kinda my trademark, but thankfully you've already fallen for me."

Meredith looks away and laughs. Andrew always says the right thing, but says it in ways that never fail to surprise her. He's just the right amount of cocky.

They get back to Meredith's house in the early evening. The kids all fell asleep in the car on the way home from the park, and although that's only a 12 minute drive they're all up and full of energy again. Andrew comes in, and he and Meredith have coffee together downstairs while the kids are upstairs playing. Andrew takes a sip of his coffee and sits his mug on the table, Meredith is holding her mug with two hands as it rests on the table. They've both stopped talking. Andrew reaches over with one hand and reaches out for her. His pinky reaching for hers. Their pinkies lock. He pulls her hand away from her mug, and he lays her hand on the table palm up. He traces a heart in her palm with his finger.

"I'm not 13," she says teasing him. He smiles. She remembers Maggie's response from the other day, "Ohhh, it never ends."

They talk for awhile in the kitchen when all of a sudden Maggie walks in the front door.

"Andrew's here," Meredith says looking from the front door to Andrew's face. His expression is just warm.

"Hey, you guys," Maggie says as she walks into the kitchen and over to the fridge. "Jackson had an emergency burn case, so I decided to come over until he's on the way home. Is that cool? "She grabs a bottle of wine.

"Of course," Meredith replies, "The kids need baths. I'm going to go make sure Zola gets in the shower and I'm going to give Ellis a bath."

Andrew walks over to Meredith's fridge, and Maggie walks towards the table stopping to grab a wine glass on the way. Andrew looks into the fridge, and then walks over to look in a few cabinets. "You've got enough stuff for me to throw together a quick chicken stir fry. Would the kids eat it?"

Meredith says yes, and adds "If any of them don't like it I can just make them something else really quickly."

"Let me go handle the baths, Mer," Maggie offers. "You can stay and help Andrew."

Meredith thanks her, and Maggie goes off to help the kids. Her wine glass in hand.

A little later they all sit down to dinner. Even Amelia is here now, and the whole squad is at the table enjoying Andrew's cooking. Everyone is joining in the conversation. Bailey is telling Amelia about their trip to the aquarium.

Zola calls out across the table, "Aunt Maggie is Andrew your friend?"

Amelia coughs trying to swallow the bite of food she just took. Meredith looks at Maggie. Then at Andrew.

Maggie takes a sip of her wine. "Well, um, yes, Zola he is," Maggie squeaks out.

Zola looks at her mom.

"He's my friend too, Zozo," Meredith replies. Ellis is singing a song between bites. Meredith continues, "Andrew might come and see us more, and Aunt Maggie doesn't mind."

"Nope, I'm really glad Andrew will be hanging with you guys more," Maggie adds.

Zola takes a bite. She looks down at her plate and seems to be satisfied, but then she says, 'My dad said, 'Friends are the family you choose.'"

Meredith smiles a sad smile while looking at Zola.

"He was right," Andrew says warmly. "And I hope we can be friends too, Zola."

Zola looks up and takes a big bite of her dinner. She smiles at Andrew, and the conversation at the table continues on comfortably.

Everyone goes into the living room after dinner. Andrew has an easy going conversation with the sisters. These three women have a natural rhythm to their conversations, and they all carry on almost like Andrew isn't there. He's amused by it, and chips in a comment every so often when they let him get a word in. Time flies. The kids play for awhile, before Meredith and Maggie both go up to put them to bed. Amelia goes up to her room too.

Maggie eventually comes down with Meredith right behind her, and she grabs her purse. Jackson must be out of surgery. Meredith waves at Maggie who waves back as she walks to the door. Maggie tells Andrew goodbye. He waves at her from the couch, and she's gone. Meredith comes and sits next to Andrew on the couch. She leans into him.

"The kids are in bed, but I anticipate at least one request for water and one request for a bathroom break before too long." Andrew puts his arm up and over her shoulder.

"Today was great," he says.

Meredith looks up at him and Andrew looks down. They kiss and Meredith bites his lower lip. Andrew moans. The kiss deepens. Meredith's hand lands on the inside of Andrew's thigh. Their kiss ends, and Meredith looks him the eye. Her gaze falls lower to his lips.

"'I'm missing being alone at your place right now," Meredith's voice is sultry. She leans in for another kiss. Her hand is still on his thigh, inching closer to his growing hardness.

"Now it's my turn to say we'd better stop," Andrew whispers. Meredith laughs quietly. They kiss one more time before they stop. They start to talk. Andrew tells her more about his dinner with his sister, and Meredith tells him about her recent visit with her dad.

It's close to 10 before they know it. They have been together all day, but neither are ready to separate. Andrew has to work early tomorrow, so he drags himself to the door. Meredith walks Andrew out to his parked bike at the curb. She stands on the sidewalk as he gets on it. He grabs his helmet, and Meredith can't help herself the words spill out, "I hate that you ride that thing, but you look so damn good on it"

Andrew puts on his helmet. "I'm always super careful," he says with a boyish grin. "Come here, Dr. Grey."

Meredith walks over to him. He reaches out for her and pulls her into his embrace. He kisses her. Their lips part as they kiss, his tongue dancing with hers. They stop kissing and his nose rubs softly against hers. He tells her he'll text her when he makes it home. Meredith nods and waves as he pulls away from the curb. His motorcycle takes off noisily down her street. She watches him drive away, and she can barely believe this is her life. She already misses him. Maggie was definitely right. It never ends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to everyone who has left me a kind word we're here for another go at it. I've been watching season 2 Greys this weekend, and it inspired a huge rewrite of this chapter. I don't know anything about medicine 😂, so this was a fun challenge. Thanks again for reading. -HB**

Dr. Helm and Dr. DeLuca are working with Dr. Hunt in the pit. It's been a very busy six days since the aquarium trip, and Andrew has barely seen Meredith. Yes, they've visited a supply closet or two and shared coffee breaks when possible, but otherwise their schedules had not allowed any alone time.

Owen is wheeled into the E.R. riding on a stretcher being pushed by paramedics. He met the ambulance in the bay and has already taken over CPR attempts on an unresponsive little boy. DeLuca and Helm rush over.

"Marco Ramirez, age 7, collapsed in P.E. class. Parents have been contacted and are otw. No known previous conditions..." one of the paramedics continues providing the doctors all the relevant details. All three doctors move in sync working together to try revive Marco. Owen calls for Dr. Altman and Dr. Karev to be paged.

"We've got a low pulse," Owen announces. "Let's intubate," he reaches out for a tube. "We need a chest ultrasound," Owen barks.

"Pulse Ox 88," Helm reports.

Alex and Teddy show up and are immediately apprised of the situation. Teddy takes over and begins an ultrasound. She pauses, looks closer at the monitor, and says, "He has a ventricular septal defect. We need to get him to the OR immediately."

Dr. Hunt knows Marco is in good hands and goes to see to other patients.

Karev is on the other side of Marco's stretcher he yells out, "He's got fluid in his left lung. Before he goes anywhere we need to drain. Alex begins the thoracentesis, and says, "I'm going to scrub in with you, Dr. Altman, if that's ok." Teddy nods. Then he turns to Helm, "If necessary bump a scheduled non emergency surgery." He sends her off to get them an OR.

"You coming, DeLuca?" Dr. Karev asks while draining the fluid from the lung into his needle. Tubing gets stitched to Marco's chest.

"Yes sir," Andrew replies. They get confirmation OR 3 is being prepped, and they all begin to head in that direction.

Andrew is on his way to OR 3 scrub room when Meredith runs into him on her way out of OR 1.

"Hey," she says while pulling off her scrub hat. Andrew thinks Meredith is perhaps her sexist right after a surgery. It's because he knows she's given everything to her patient, and she does it so humbly. To her it's just her job to strive to be great. That's what she thinks every surgeon's job is. She doesn't understand that while every surgeon might strive to be great she actually is great, and to be close to a woman so great and so beautiful it causes Andrew to stop right in front of her in awe. She smiles at him.

"I needed to see your face before this surgery and the OR gods have blessed me," Andrew says grinning.

"What are you scrubbing in on?" Meredith asks.

"A ventricular septal defect. We're going to sew in a patch. Dacron. Karev and Altman are waiting for me."

"That's exciting," Meredith replies.

Andrew looks towards his OR, and back at Meredith. He looks a little scared, and that takes Meredith by surprise. He's usually so confident.

"You're going to do great," Meredith says sounding sure. She grabs his hand.

Andrew looks down at their hands and says, "He's seven. He's got a hole in his heart, previously undetected, his parents are on their way, and it's up to me and a couple other mere mortals to try to fix it," Andrew drops Meredith's hand and starts to pace. "Do you ever think about that?"

"You're not mere mortals. You're surgeons," Meredith replies. She sticks an arm out to stop him pacing, and continues, "You are a very very good surgeon. Go be awesome." It's exactly what he needed to hear.

"I really want to break a rule and kiss you right now," Andrew says while walking up to her. They're face to face and he's standing close. She doesn't stop him from trying to kiss her, but he doesn't lean in. "I'm not going to break our rule, but I could be talked into coming by to deliver on those kisses later tonight." If his confidence was low a minute ago it's definitely fully recovered. Meredith smiles, turns, and starts to walk away.

"I'm going to go be awesome now," he shouts after her watching her walk away.

"I'll be at my house waiting for you when you're done," Meredith says not looking back.

Andrew smiles as he turns and heads into the scrub room.

Alex is scrubbed and heading into the OR when he says, "Hurry up, DeLuca, Altman is ready to cut."

Andrew starts the water and reaches for the soap.

Marco is on the bypass machine. Teddy cuts into his chest, and the process of getting his heart repaired begins. A little while later the rib spreader is in, and Dr. Altman is leading them in the search for hole. The doctors get the news that Marco's parents are here, but it's going to be awhile before they have news for them.

It's a little over an hour into the surgery, and Teddy finds the hole in Marco's heart. She describes to Andrew what she needs as he begins the preparation of the material that will be used to patch the defect in Marco's septum.

"Do you know why we're using a patch instead of catheterization, Dr. DeLuca?" Teddy asks.

"Yes, the Dacron patch procedure can prevent problems later in life, including heart failure and high blood pressure in the lung arteries," Andrew answers.

"Correct, and for a kid so young we want to prevent the need for future surgeries if we can," Teddy adds.

Andrew brings a tray over with the patch Dr. Altman needs.

"Whoa. I need suction," Teddy says. " I've got some bleeding."

"Pulse ox 84," Andrew reports.

"What's going on," Karev asks.

"He may have another defect," Teddy responds. All the doctors get even more serious, and the race is on to find it and figure this out.

"Damn it!" Teddy continues. "We need his scans!"

They page Helm to bring the scans to the OR.

Teddy tells Andrew to forget about the patch and come over to give her a hand. She needs to feel with her hands and try to find this hole. They can't wait for the scans, because Marco will bleed out. All three surgeons are working with extreme focus.

"I think I've found something," Teddy says excitedly.

Teddy, Alex, and Andrew walk up to Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez in the lobby. Marco's parents stand up looking worried but hopeful as all three surgeons approach. Marco's parents have been waiting nervously through the entire surgery for word from the doctors.

Teddy is the one to tell them the news.

"I don't understand," Mrs. Ramirez screams out. Her seven year old bundle of pure energy was lying still on a table 100 feet away. Her world was spinning. She's just been told her son has died on the OR table.

"We did everything we could do. Marco had a heart valve defect that previously went undetected. He collapsed in his P.E. class. He was unresponsive when he arrived, but we took life saving measures..." Andrew's words trail off.

"Oso," Mrs. Ramirez says, "Everyone calls him Oso. He arrived 10 pounds into this world, and he has been our little Oso ever since."

"We are so sorry for your loss," Dr. Karev says wishing the news was different. All three doctors leave the parents after providing all the necessary information. A nurse steps in after getting some instructions from Dr. Altman.

Alex turns to Andrew, "You okay, Dr. DeLuca?"

Andrew nods. "I feel like Thanos snapped his fingers, and now I'm disintegrating and blowing away in the wind, but that's how I feel every time I have to look a parent in the eye and tell them their child is dead, so I'm doing as well as I can be."

Alex thinks he gets the reference, but he hasn't been to the movies in a long time. Dr. Karev turns and starts to walk away. He stops after a few steps and turns back to look at Andrew, "You did a good job tonight, Dr. DeLuca. We'll come back tomorrow, we'll work just as hard to save the next little Oso, and that little guy or girl is going to give us a win." Andrew nods and they walk off in different directions to end their work day.

Andrew reaches for his cell phone as soon as he arrives at his cubby. Jo is sitting on a bench about to head home herself.

"Sorry about your patient, Andrew," Jo squeezes his arm as she walks by towards the door. Andrew says thanks, and they exchange goodbyes.

Andrew checks his texts. There are three from Meredith since he last checked his phone a few hours ago.

The first text is from 40 mins ago: "Bailey wants to know when you're going to be here, because the Toy Story 4 trailer is out, and apparently he promised to wait and watch it with you." Andrew's mood is lifted thinking about how he and Bailey had talked about the movie during lunch after their aquarium trip last week.

A text from 35 mins ago: "He also needs you to know it's super hard to wait for you, but he is."

A text from 34 mins ago: "When did you and my five year old become best friends? I'm not at all jealous."

Andrew laughs and sits down on the bench to type out a reply. His text originally says, "He knows he has a friend in me." He goes to hit send, but stops. He shakes his head laughing at his own corny joke. He edits the message to say, " The bromance is real. Tell my bestie I'll be there soon. I'm leaving in just a few minutes."

All the kids sit next to Andrew on the couch. His laptop is in his lap and they're all watching the movie trailer. Meredith comes to join them. The kids are excited by the end, and Bailey asks Andrew if they can go see it.

Andrew looks over at Meredith. "Can we?" He asks. All their faces look over at her wide eyed.

"Yes, we can go." Meredith says laughing. Andrew and the kids celebrate. Meredith is smiling as she heads back to check on dinner.

A couple hours later they're sitting alone in the kitchen and Meredith's chair is facing Andrew's. Her legs are across his, and her feet are in his lap. He's rubbing her legs mindlessly and staring off in the direction of the fridge. The kids have been tucked in for twenty minutes. They've both had a glass of wine.

"I want to go into Peds," Andrew says matter of factly never stopping his massaging and never looking over at her.

A few seconds pass. He doesn't say anything else.

'I think that's perfect for you," Meredith says.

He finally looks at her. "I decided earlier tonight. This may sound a little cheesy, but being with you and spending time with you and the kids… It has unlocked a different level of passion in me. Bailey is my guy, Zola is so much like you it's ridiculous, and Elle Belle is already one of the coolest people I know. I understand a little teeny bit more intensely what a parent is losing when I have to give them bad news. I want to save as many little Osos as I can."

Meredith is pleasantly surprised by him again. He consistently surprises her in endearing ways, and it's annoying how much it makes her feel. The way he lets her in and doesn't hold back anything is why she's in this situation. She really used to believe she was the one in control here. She brings her feet down, and stands up. She walks over to him and raises her right leg over his lap. She straddles him with her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. Looking in his eyes she runs her hand through his hair. Andrew's hands slip into the back pockets of her jeans.

Meredith kisses him for what feels like just a few seconds but has probably been minutes. She stops, and their eyes open. She smiles at him, and then she stands up. Andrew doesn't like her breaking their connection. She turns and grabs their wine glasses from the table. She walks them over to the sink.

Andrew walks up behind her, lifts the hair away from her neck, and kisses her below her ear.

Meredith turns around. Andrew barely moves back, they're facing each other, and they're looking into each other's eyes. Meredith whispers something. Andrew isn't sure he's heard her right. He continues to look at her, and a smile creeps up on his face.

"Did you, Dr. Meredith Grey, just tell me that you love me?" Andrew's tone is playful, and Meredith can't take it. She starts to blush, and goes to turn away. He stops her, and he brushes away the hair falling into her face. He told her the same thing three days ago in a supply closet. She didn't return the sentiment at the time, but she was gentle about it. He hadn't wanted to push her, but it had been a rough three days for him honestly. He had not told her he loved her just to hear it back. He had said it because he felt it, and he wanted her to know. He loved the kids too, but he was being cautious and careful with their little hearts. Things were moving quickly it felt like, but their love story had actually unfolded over months and months of Meredith's walls slowly coming down. All these things were not lost on Meredith. She saw him. She understood he was good. She knows that even with his flaws this man was still "salt of the earth" good. Sometimes it overwhelmed her, and all these things had overcome her in this moment. He steps closer. Her arms wrap around his neck again. This time she says it more confidently. "I love you. I have tried to resist every step of the way, and yet here I am. You're stuck with me now." She laughs and asks, "Are you ready for all this?" They come together foreheads touching, and Andrew smiles. He takes her hand, turns around, and leads her towards the couch. He looks back over his shoulder as they walk, he grins, and he says, "Sì, sono pronto."

Meredith smiles. She's ready, too.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes at the end**

Andrew and Meredith were a tangle of bare arms, bare legs, and both are partially covered by the same light blue sheet. They had just enjoyed a rare afternoon alone together in bed. The kids were out with Maggie, Harriet, and Jackson. Meredith and Andrew ended up in bed almost as soon as Jackson's car drove off. It's been three busy but happy months since Meredith told her boyfriend she loves him back. Andrew is sitting up slightly and leaning back against the headboard. Meredith is laying the opposite direction, her head propped up on her hands looking back at him. Andrew is tracing his fingers over her legs, and smiling at her.

"What are you smiling about," Meredith says softly.

"Nothing. I'm just happy. I think," Andrew says smiling.

"You think?" Meredith laughs.

"It's hard to know. I've felt this way a lot lately," he replies. Meredith lays down. They lose eye contact for a moment.

"Today's my mom's birthday," Andrew says. Meredith sits up and looks at him. "I miss her, but I try to be celebratory on this day every year. I wanted to be with you this year," He added. Meredith reaches out and squeezes his forearm.

Meredith asks him to, "Tell me something about her."

Andrew thinks for a minute then begins to smile, "My mom hated when I started to insist everyone call me Andrew, but she would call me Andrew anyways, because more than anything she always wanted me to be happy. She made a really tough choice when she decided to come to America, and she struggled with wondering if she'd made a mistake. As an adult I can look back and feel a ton of empathy for my mom. She was an amazing person." Meredith smiles and moves over towards him and lays in his arms. Andrew looks down at her and says, "Tell me something about your mom."

Meredith is quiet for a moment, and then she says, "We need to get dressed. Maggie and Jackson could be here any minute." Meredith kisses Andrew and starts to move to get up from the bed.

She's standing next to the bed when Andrew asks, "Why do you do that?"

"Why do I do what?" Meredith says while looking for her clothes.

"Why do you refuse to tell me anything about your mom? I know you loved her. I know you dream about her and that she inspires you. I know it's complicated and I know a lot of it is painful, but that's all I know. I just want to know about her, because I want to know about you," Andrew scoots over to the edge of the bed and is now sitting right in front of her. He pulls her to him and looks her in the eye. "I love you, and I don't want to push. I just want to know the things that happened that made you the woman I love."

Meredith's hands rest on both sides of his face, and she leans in for a kiss. When they stop she says, "A big chunk of my life has been spent trying to be the kind of surgeon my mom was while trying not to be the kind of wife and mother she was. I didn't know if I could do both, but in a weird way my mom gave me the tools I needed to build a life where I could have both." Meredith looks like there's something more she wants to say, but instead she leans in and they kiss again for a moment before Meredith reminds him they need to get dressed. He lets her go, but Andrew wonders about what it was she held back.

The next day Andrew is in the pit with Dr. Webber. A Jane Doe patient was brought in by local police. She was found wandering confused around a local neighborhood bleeding from some cuts and abrasions. She's sitting up on a stretcher asking why she's been brought here. One of the officers with her briefs Dr. DeLuca and Dr. Webber, "She has no identification on her. We estimate her age between 55-60. It looks like she fell at some point, and that's what the scrapes and cuts are from…" the officer continues for a moment as Dr. Webber begins to examine the patient. He tells Dr. DeLuca to page Dr. Shepherd for a neuro consult.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Webber can you tell me your name?"

She looks confused for a moment and then she seems to gain some clarity. "My name is Madison Klein," she says looking up at Dr. Webber. "I need to call my husband.

Doctor Shepherd is examining Madison when her husband shows up.

"Oh my God, baby. We've all been so worried," he says rushing over to hug Madison.

"I'm Ari Klein. I'm Madison's husband," He says looking at Amelia and then Andrew. "What is going on?"

"I'm Dr. Shepherd. I'm the chief of neurosurgery here, and this is Dr. DeLuca. She came in today after being found disoriented and confused. She only recalled her name and your contact information upon arrival here at the hospital. It seems where she was found isn't too far from her work." Turning to Madison Amelia continues, "You show no signs of trauma to the head, Madison, and nothing had shown up in our initial tests. Can I ask you if this is the first time you've ever gotten disoriented?"

Madison looks at her husband and responds, "Umm, lately I've been forgetting things. You know.. Where I put my keys or where I parked, but that's normal for me."

Ari interjects looking at Dr. Shepherd and says, "She got lost on her way home last week. She pulled over crying and I had to go get her. She forgets a lot of things and it happens all the time now." Madison starts to cry. "It's alright, babe," Ari says holding her hand. "It's going to be alright. I promise."

Dr. Shepherd walks over to Dr. Webber and Dr. DeLuca joins them. Amelia briefs Richard, "We need to do some more tests and rule out any other possibilities, but Early Onset Alzheimer's is what we need to screen her for." Richard nods and they walk over to discuss the next steps with Madison and Ari.

A little later Andrew and Amelia have Madison in the MRI machine and they're waiting for the images to load and appear on the monitors.

"If this case is tough for you I understand," Amelia says attempting to be nonchalant. "I mean...I'd get it."

Andrew looks at her and he's completely lost. She goes on, "I'm just saying if you need to take a moment and get some air or something I'd understand."

"What are you talking about?" Andrew asks in complete confusion. Amelia looks over at him.

"Meredith… I know a patient like this might be tough for you," she turns back to look at the images that have loaded. "It's hard not to think about Meredith."

Andrew feels like he's been punched in the gut.

"We've got some more signs in these images," Amelia presses the intercom and let's Madison know they're done, and that she's going to be brought to a room now. Amelia gives Andrew some instructions, but he isn't listening. She stands up and gets his attention, "Hey, you really don't look good, Dr. DeLuca. Go take a break. I'm going to go grab a nurse and order some more tests for Mrs. Klein. Come get me when her blood test results come back." Andrew nods, and after Amelia walks out he gets up and goes to find Meredith.

He finds Meredith standing at the big surgical board erasing something. He walks up next to her and says in a tense tone, "I need to talk to you." Meredith turns to look at him. Her eyes squint.

"No," she replies in a whisper. "You look angry, and I'm not arguing with you at work."

"I forgot you get to decide everything. You even get to schedule our fights," Andrew says in a tone Meredith can't recognize. He's never been mad with her before, and she doesn't even know what she did.

"Come with me," Meredith says turning and walking towards the elevators. They get in and ride up in silence to the roof.

Once alone of the roof Meredith starts speaking first, "What the hell is going on?"

"I'm on a case with Dr. Shepherd," Andrew says walking towards her. "Our patient has signs of Early Onset Alzheimer's. Your sister let me know that if I needed any support she was here for me. I didn't know what she was talking about, but then I understood. She knows my girlfriend has the genetic markers for it. She thought me helping a patient with symptoms might be hard for me. She thought I knew." Meredith looks away. "Why haven't you told me?" He asks.

"You know my mother had Alzheimer's," Meredith replies still looking away.

"Damn it, Mer, you know that isn't the same thing. Just because your mother had Alzheimer's does not mean you will."

"I still may not," Meredith adds.

"I know that, Meredith," Andrew replies his tone softening. "I just want to know why you haven't told me. Why wouldn't you tell me that?"

"I have tried," Meredith says teary eyed. "I tried yesterday." She turns and walks away from him a bit. "I found out when I was pregnant with Bailey. Derek had been there for the final years of my mom's life. He knew that history, and when we found out about me we just accepted it and moved forward. I sometimes wish you already knew me like he knew me. I want you to know things without me having to say them. I know that's unfair, but some things hurt to say out loud."

Andrew gets a message to his phone. "My patient's blood work is back. I have to go," he says looking at his phone. He turns to walk back towards the elevator. "Are you coming?" He asks.

"No, I'm gonna stay up here for another minute," Meredith answers back. Andrew enters the elevator alone and heads downstairs.

A few hours later Andrew is with Richard and Amelia speaking to the Kleins. They're going over Amelia's preliminary diagnosis and discussing Madison's options. Webber can see the distress on both Ari and Madison's faces. He tells them they'll get through this together. He adds, "I know from personal experience how hard things will be, but every second together will still be worth it." The doctors walk out shortly after and Andrew stops Dr. Webber.

"Dr. Webber could I ask you something personal?"

"I'm not sure I'll answer, Dr. DeLuca, but you can ask," Richard replies.

"What you just said in there, that all the seconds they spend together will still be worth it… If you could go back knowing how it ends would you still choose to marry your first wife?" Andrew's tone disarms Richard.

"I would not be the doctor or the man I am today if I hadn't been lucky enough to be Adele Webber's husband. She's the secret to my success. I'd marry her again every time," Richard says as he pats Andrew on the shoulder and walks away.

Meredith hears her phone go off. She's lying in bed and can't sleep. She reaches over to grab her phone. She sees the time and it's 9:15. She has a text from Andrew, "I'm at your door. Can I come in to talk?" Meredith throws on her robe and heads down. She opens her front door and Andrew is standing there with a brown bag.

"I come offering tacos," he says walking in past her.

"I'm not hungry," Meredith replies.

Andrew sits the bag down and walks over to the couch and takes a seat. Meredith stays standing.

"Are you going to come and sit?" Andrew asks.

"You left me on that roof today. I told you what I told you, and you left," Meredith says the hurt evident in her voice.

"I was mad that you kept that from me. You've gone through so much, and you barely talk about it. You say you love me, but you can't tell me the tough stuff," Andrew stands up and walks over to her. He continues, "It's easy to start to think about being together forever, but I was reminded on that rooftop today that we don't have forever. I got scared, and I didn't handle that great, but since then I've been reminded that nobody gets forever. All that matters is loving each other as well as we can for as long as we can. I'm sorry I walked away on that roof today." Andrew pulls her into a hug.

Meredith leans back to look up at him. "I'm sorry I haven't opened up more about the hard stuff," Meredith replies. "I want you to know the dark and twisty things too." They kiss, and Andrew pulls on the tie holding her robe closed. Meredith stops him. "Do you think I leave you out of decisions?" Meredith asks. Andrew looks away. Then looks back.

"I was angry. I didn't mean that," Andrew says and pulls her in close again. "I was being unkind. You are very considerate."

Meredith rests her head face down on his chest. Andrew kisses the top of her forehead. "You want to stay for awhile?" Meredith asks. She backs up a little and pulls open her robe to reveal her sexy silk camisole and panties.

"I could hang out for a bit," Andrew says with a grin.

Meredith puts a finger up to her lips. "Amelia isn't here, but the kids are asleep," she says as she grabs Andrew's hand and pulls him up the stairs behind her.

He stops, and says, "Wait." He turns and runs quietly into the kitchen and then back to where Meredith is waiting for him on the stairs. "The tacos," he whispers as he holds up the bag. Meredith laughs and they head up the stairs holding hands.

**Notes: I have no personal experience with Alzheimer's, so I hope nothing in this story was insensitive to anyone who is suffering from it or has a loved one who is. Thanks so much for reading. -HB**


	9. Chapter 9

**I had someone leave a comment saying they like how Meredith and Andrew always make up by the end of every chapter. Since I'm a terrible person that inspired me to do these next chapters differently. 😂 Again, thanks for reading and leaving feedback. **

Carina was sitting at her brother's dining table replying to emails on her laptop while he made them lunch.

"Papa still isn't returning my phone calls," Carina said pretty matter of factly although Andrew knows she's upset.

"You can't help him unless he's willing to seek treatment. I know you've always taken care of him, but I don't want you to get sucked in anymore," Andrew walks a plate over to the table and sits it down next to Carina's laptop. "Just focus solely on yourself for once."

Carina nods her head in agreement, but Andrew knows she'll keep calling. He walks back over to the stove.

"So, what's new with you and your lady boss?" Carina says in Italian.

"Meredith and I are fine. We're great actually," Andrew replies in English.

"Hmmmm," Carina hums.

"Hmmm what?" Andrew replies. Carina looks at Andrew with real concern in her eyes.

"Are you sure about this, little brother?" Carina asks.

"Sure about what?" Andrew asks his tone sounding slightly defensive.

Carina looks at him warmly trying to put him at ease before responding, "Three kids, Andrea? A few months ago you could barely take care of yourself." Andrew walks his plate and a glass of sparkling water over to the table and sits across from his sister. "Will you want to have more kids someday?" Carina's question catches him by surprise. Andrew hadn't thought about any of this.

"I've spent a lot of time with Meredith and the kids the last several months. They're amazing just like their mother," Andrew stops talking to take a bite of his food. He swallows and continues, "I love her, and I love her ki-"

"You're just starting your career, Andrea," Carina interrupts? "She's your boss."

"I'll be working with Dr. Karev more now, and Meredith is incredibly professional at all times," Andrew adds. "We're taking things slow. You don't need to worry about my love life, Carina. Maybe spend some time focused on your own. Have you dated anyone since Arizona moved away."

"Don't worry about me, little brother. I'm who taught you how to get girls," Carina says teasing him in her thick Italian accent. Andrew just rolls his eyes in response. They finish eating, Carina finishes clearing out her email inbox, and Andrew is washing their plates in the sink when there's a knock at the door. "It's probably Meredith," Andrew says. "We're going to take the kids to the park." Carina goes over to let Meredith in.

"Oh!" Carina says, and Andrew puts his dish towel down and walks out into the living room. He looks up at the person at the front door and his eyes open wide in surprise.

"Wha-what are you doing here," Andrew says still shocked.

"I'm back," Sam says smiling and runs up to Andrew pulling him in for a hug. Andrew is shocked, but he is glad to see her. He hugs her back tightly.

"I'm gonna get out of here," Carina says moving to grab her stuff. She gives Andrew a wide eyed look and mouths "OH MY GOD," on her way out the door.

A little later Andrew and Sam are sitting near each other on his couch talking. She has explained that she hired a pro bono immigration attorney who has been working to help get her DACA status restored. She found out a week ago she would be allowed to return to the States.

"Did you not like Zurich?" Andrew asks.

"No, I loved it. Dr. Yang is the most gifted surgeon I've ever studied under," Sam replies.

Andrew looks her in the eyes and asks, "Then why did you decide to come back?"

Sam starts to say something, but there's a knock at the door. Andrew remembers his date with Meredith and the kids. You can hear the kids voices and laughter on the other side of the door. Sam looks confused. Andrew gets up and walks over to open his front door. The kids squeeze by Meredith running to greet Andrew with hugs. Meredith smiles at Andrew and walks over to hug him as well. "Hey you. We tried calling you from the car to tell you we're here," Meredith says in a warm voice. She kisses him briefly on the lips, but he barely kisses her back. His face looks a little pained.

"Hi!" Bailey says running towards the coach. Meredith looks past Andrew to see who Bailey is talking to, and sees Sam sitting on Andrew's couch. All the kids introduce themselves to Sam.

"Oh my god, Dr. Bello! What are you doing here?" Meredith says excitedly walking over towards the couch.

Sam looks confused to see Meredith here visiting and kissing Andrew.

"Hi, Dr. Grey! I missed Seattle and Grey Sloan. In my time away I figured out that my life is definitely here," Sam says turning to look at Andrew.

"Wow. Dr. Bailey didn't tell me you were coming back," Meredith replies.

"I have a meeting with her tomorrow morning. Nothing is official yet," Sam responds.

"Can we go to the park now?" Bailey asks Andrew. Andrew looks over at Meredith.

"I can just talk with you later, Andrew. I barged in without contacting you first, and you obviously have plans," Sam says standing up and grabbing her bag.

"Sam…" Andrew starts, but Sam interrupts,

"No. It's ok. Really. I'll try to find you at the hospital tomorrow. Have fun at the park." She turns to look at Meredith, "Nice to see you, Dr. Grey." Sam says goodbye to the kids as well and Andrew walks her to the door. They quickly hug goodbye. Andrew turns back around to face Meredith and the kids.

"Let's go to the park!" Andrew says enthusiastically. The kids all run towards the door. Meredith walks up to Andrew and gives him a sarcastic smile.

"Let's go get in the car," Meredith says cheerily while walking away from him and towards the kids waiting at the door. Andrew grabs his jacket and follows behind them.

In the car Meredith is in the passenger seat texting. Andrew looks away from the road briefly to look at her. "Are you going to say anything?" Andrew asks.

"I'm busy texting Christina a couple questions," Meredith replies.

"Mer, this doesn't change anything," Andrew says calmly reaching out to hold hands. Meredith looks at his hand for a moment and thinks seriously about not taking it before locking her hand in his.

Andrew is kicking a soccer ball with Bailey, Zola, and Jackson while Meredith, Ellis, Maggie, and Harriet are blowing bubbles. Maggie has taken notice of Meredith's bad mood and is tired of waiting for Meredith to open up.

"So are we going to talk about whatever it is that has you mad at Andrew?" Maggie asks Meredith.

Meredith looks over at her sister and frowns, "I'm not mad at Andrew."

"You're mad at someone," Maggie replies.

"Dr. Bello is back in Seattle. She's meeting with Bailey tomorrow to talk about getting her spot back," Meredith says in an even tone.

"Shut up! Seriously!" Maggie says as she reaches over to grab Meredith's arm. "Did Andrew know and not tell you?"

"No, I don't think he knew. She said she surprised him. I drove over to pick him up, and when we walked in Sam was sitting on his couch," Meredith looks over at Maggie and continues, "I think she's back because of him."

Maggie is about to respond when Jackson walks up, "You cool to head out in a few minutes? We've got to drop Harriet with April." Maggie nods, and Jackson runs back towards Andrew and the kids.

"Just talk to Andrew. He loves you," Maggie says trying to be very reassuring. Meredith nods and tells Maggie that she will talk with him, but for the rest of the evening Meredith ignores the topic. Andrew avoids it as well.

The next morning Dr. Karev sees Dr. Bello leaving Dr. Bailey's office. Shortly afterwards he meets up with Dr. DeLuca to discuss a patient's case. Andrew suggests a surgical approach and Alex takes a moment to consider his suggestion. After a brief silence Alex says, "I saw that Dr. Bello is back from Zurich. Did you know she's back?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Karev, but what does that have to do with our patient?" Andrew shoots back.

"DeLuca just answer the question," Alex demands.

"No, Dr. Karev, I did not know. I found out yesterday."

Alex nods and asks, "Does Dr. Grey, know?"

"Yes," Andrew answers.

Alex nods again, "I agree your plan is the best way to go. Let's go tell June and her mom the good news and book an OR."

After their surgery Alex runs into Meredith at the whiteboard. "Your boyfriend just rocked out in my OR. He pitched a great idea and then executed it flawlessly. I think my genius is rubbing off on him," Alex gloats. Meredith rolls her eyes. "I saw Dr. Bello coming out of Bailey's office earlier," Alex adds.

"She's back," Meredith replies sounding monotone. Before Alex can say anything else she continues, "I have a whipple." Meredith turns, walks away towards the scrub room, and says, "See ya later," without looking back.

"Bye!" Alex yells after her.

Meredith was surprised not to have any texts from Andrew when she was done with her whipple. She hadn't heard from him since that morning, and that was unlike him. Meredith calls him, but gets his voicemail. She doesn't leave a message.

"I think your phone is ringing," Sam says as Andrew walks out of his restroom. He walks over to where his phone is laying on the kitchen counter. He has spent the evening after his shift catching up with Sam who has come over to celebrate getting her job back. When he sees it was Meredith who just called he realizes he hasn't talked to her all day.

"I'm gonna step outside to make a phone call," Andrew says.

"No, it's getting late and I need to get back to my hotel. I'll call you tomorrow if that's ok," Sam says softly.

"Sure, Sam," Andrew says warmly. He offers to give her a ride to her hotel, but she insists an uber is fine. She leaves a few minutes later, and Andrew calls Meredith's cell phone. The first few minutes of their call is pleasant, but Meredith's responses are a little dry.

"I didn't hear from you much today. Is everything alright?" Meredith asks.

"Yes, everything is fine. I meant to check in," Andrew says apologetically. He decides not to hold back. "I was catching up with Sam this afternoon." Meredith says nothing, and Andrew continues, "She's coming back to Grey Sloan."

Meredith is concerned but doesn't want to admit it, so she changes the subject, "While I was in surgery I got an idea for my research." Andrew ignores her attempt to change the subject.

"Meredith," Andrew says softly.

"What?" she asks. Her voice soft as well.

"Are you...okay with Sam being back?" Andrew probes.

"Yes. I'm happy for Dr. Bello," Meredith says trying her best to really mean it. Andrew is convinced, but tells her anyways that he and Sam are just friends now. Meredith doesn't really know how to feel, but for now she's decided she has no right to object. They both move on, and the rest of their conversation is light and comfortable like usual. After they hang up Andrew undresses, takes a shower, and then climbs into bed. As he falls asleep he thinks about his day.

"Are you sure about this, little brother?" Carina's question the last thing on his mind before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Andrew woke up to the sound of a baby crying. Sam reaches over and turns down the volume of the baby monitor on the nightstand.

"It's your turn, babe," Sam says.

Andrew playfully groans and gets out of bed. He heads into his newborn son's bedroom. "Hey there little guy," Andrew says trying to soothe his son as he reaches down to pick him up. "I need you to go back to sleep. Your mommy and I have a wedding to go to tomorrow." He's lightly bouncing baby DeLuca when Sam walks in with a bottle.

"Have you checked to see if he's wet?" she asks.

"He isn't. He's just probably hungry," Andrew says reaching out for the bottle from Sam.

"Did you remember to wrap Meredith and Finn's wedding gift?" Sam asks.

"I'm going to do it in the morning," Andrew replies. Sam nods knowing she'll likely be the one doing it in the morning. She kisses Andrew and their son and goes back to bed. Andrew thinks about Meredith getting married tomorrow, and he is surprised by how sad it makes him. He looks down lovingly at his baby boy and his thoughts shift happily back to his family.


	10. Chapter 10

Andrew doesn't know how he got to Meredith's house. One minute he was wrapping her wedding gift and the next he was on his bike headed this way. "Just start your bike and drive back home," he thought, but next thing he knew he was pushing her doorbell.

Amelia answers the door and when she sees Deluca she smiles. "Well, things just got interesting."

"I need to see Meredith," Andrew says, and Amelia opens the door wider to let him in. "Is Finn here?" he asks.

"Nope," Amelia replies. Meredith is coming down the stairs.

"Is that Magg-" Meredith stops talking and walking as soon as she sees Andrew. She stands frozen on the stairs for a moment then turns to go back up. She runs to her bedroom and closes the door. Andrew runs after her and stops right in front of her closed bedroom door.

"Meredith, please let me in," Andrew pleads.

"Seriously, Andrew! I'm getting married today!" Meredith yells from behind the closed door.

"Ok...my timing isn't great, but I'm here, Mer. Please let me in," Andrew says in as persuasive a voice as possible. The door opens a bit, and Andrew pushes in and locks the door behind him.

Meredith's hair and makeup are done and she's wearing a robe. Her dress is hanging in a bag on her bathroom door. Meredith sits on the front of her bed, and Andrew sits next to her. "Andrew you shouldn't be here," Meredith says softly. Andrew turns to look at Meredith.

"Is it too late?" Andrew asks.

"Too late for what?" Meredith responds.

Andrew turns and looks at Meredith. She turns to look at him too. He replies, "Too late to admit that I made a mistake? I love my son, and I'm glad he's here, but I need you. I thought I wanted children, but I really wanted children with you. I want to spend my life with you, and if it's not too late I came here to say that."

"You broke up with me, got back with Sam, and had a baby, Andrew," Meredith says as she gets up and walks towards her door. She goes to unlock it and Andrew gets up to stop her. He reaches out to grab her hand.

"I'm sorry, Mer. I love you," Andrew says while locking the door again. "If you don't love me tell me and I'll leave. I'll go back home and wrap your gift and wish you well at the ceremony."

Meredith walks away from the door towards her bathroom, and Andrew stays by the door watching her walk away. He can't see her anymore from where he's standing by the door, so he walks over to the bathroom door and stands in the doorway between her bathroom and bedroom. Meredith is facing the sink looking in the mirror. She looks up and catches his eye in the reflection as he walks up and closes the distance between them. He combs the hair away from her neck with his fingers and kisses the back of her neck trailing kisses to her right ear. Andrew unzips his pants, and reaches around to undo Meredith's robe. He bends Meredith over the sink, pulls himself out, and pushes into her while pulling her panties to the side. He and Meredith continue making eye contact in the mirror. She's biting her lip trying to keep quiet. In the hall they can hear voices.

"I'm not knocking on the door, you knock!" Maggie says.

"I heard noises no thank you," Amelia replies.

Andrew and Meredith don't know what to say after their moment in the bathroom. He's sitting on her bed again, and she's pacing by the door. "I have to leave in 15 minutes if I'm going to make it to my wedding on time," Meredith says continuing to pace.

"Meredith, will you marry me?" Andrew says going from the bed to one knee.

"Get up!" Meredith yells hitting him on the shoulder. "You're not going to propose to me like this!"

Andrew stands up and says, "I know the circumstances aren't perfect, but I want you to know what my intentions are."

"You have a newborn and a girlfriend. I have a fiance," Meredith replies.

"I'm going to be Andy's dad no matter what, and Sam deserves someone to love her completely," Andrew says pulling Meredith towards him. "I know you don't want to hurt Finn. I don't either, but you belong with me. You know it." Meredith smiles at him, and they kiss.

Andrew walks in to his house, and throws his keys on the counter. "Where have you been?" Sam asks. "I wrapped that gift by the way. We need to leave soon. Go get changed"

"I need to talk to you, Sam," Andrew says, and his tone stops Sam in her tracks. Andrew sees the fear in her eyes as she looks over at Andrew. "I'm sorr-"

* * *

Andrew's alarm beeps loudly. He sits up and looks around. He's in his bed alone. He looks at the time. 6:45am. He turns the alarm off, and reaches for his phone. He types out, "Can you meet me for coffee in front of the hospital at 8:00?"

"Sure, but you're buying," Sam texts back 15 mins later. Andrew sends back a thumbs up, and hops in the shower.


	11. Chapter 11

**It took me awhile to update, so two chapters today. Thanks again for reading. -HB**

Andrew and Sam are on a bench in front of the hospital. He has told Sam he's in love with Meredith. Sam takes the news pretty well. She figured as much when she saw Dr. Grey and her kids at his place. Andrew has his arm around her as they drink their coffees and the topic changes to work.

Meredith is walking up to the coffee vendor a little after 8:20 when she spots Andrew on a nearby bench with Sam. They're sitting close, his arm around her, and they're laughing and talking intimately. Meredith doesn't even notice that she has stopped walking. She has decided she doesn't want them to see her. She makes a 180 degree turn and starts to walk back in the direction towards her parked car when she hears Andrew's voice, "Dr. Grey! Meredith! Stop!" Andrew runs and catches up to her. He stops in front of her with his hands out and yells, "Wait! It's not what you think." Meredith moves past him.

She laughs angrily and responds with, "So you weren't just having a date with Sam right in front of the hospital with my name on it?"

"Do you really think I'd do that to you?" Andrew asks. How hurt he is by the accusation is evident in his voice. They're standing in the middle of a parking lot and people are walking by and looking at them. Meredith walks to her car, unlocks the doors, and gets in the driver's seat. Andrew climbs in the passenger side. Meredith rests her head on her steering wheel and closes her eyes.

"What was that?" she asks.

"I don't care if we have anymore kids," Andrew answers.

"What?" Meredith asks raising her head up and looking at him.

"I had a weird dream last night," Andrew says

Meredith keeps looking at him confusion all over her face.

"You were getting married to someone else, because we had broken up over my desire for more kids. I was with Sam in this dream, and she and I had a baby boy." Meredith looks at him and she's upset, but he continues, "I was happy, and so were you, but I still loved you. I know we're taking things slow and we haven't talked a lot about the future, but I know I want to be with you, Mer, and I know that if you don't want anymore kids the three we already have is enough. You're my Sun, Meredith." Meredith remembers when Christina referred to her as the Sun, and she smiles. She leans over the middle console and pulls Andrew down into a long kiss. When they stop, they remain close their foreheads touching. They're looking at each other lovingly.

"I'm not opposed to more kids," Meredith says softly. Andrew leans his head back smiling. They never lose eye contact.

"You aren't?" Andrew asks completely surprised.

Meredith smiles and continues, "I'm not promising anything, but I'm open to the discussion." Andrew leans in to kiss her again and passionately shows her how happy he is to hear her say that. They remain together kissing for several minutes, before Meredith pulls away reluctantly. "I've got a surgery to prep for." She doesn't want to leave, but is preparing to.

"Sam is going to stay. I think," Andrew says his tone calm. "I want her to stay. She's my only real friend here." Meredith turns away and looks out her window, but Andrew continues, "I told her I'm in love with you, and I told her she shouldn't come back here if it was just for me. If she stays it's not for me. She understands what you mean to me. That's what we met here to talk about." Meredith looks back at him, and the smile he gives her melts away any doubt. She loves him too much to resist.

"I trust you," Meredith says leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. "I love you," she adds. They kiss again.

"I love you too. Now get out and go to work, Dr. Grey. I'll see you later," Andrew says before kissing his girlfriend goodbye. He gets out as well and watches her walk away towards the hospital. He misses her already.


	12. Chapter 12

"You don't have to do this," Meredith says while climbing into bed.

"I haven't done anything yet. I'm just putting it up for sale, and if I get a good offer I'll consider it," Andrew replies. He's sitting up in bed typing on his laptop. "I bought the bike, because I needed to embrace life more, and I have. I don't need it anymore." Meredith is pleasantly surprised by her boyfriend yet again. She smiles.

"I think you should sit your computer on the nightstand," Meredith says rolling over and propping her head up on her hand. Andrew looks down at her and smiles before putting his computer off to the side. He slides down into bed and leans over to kiss Meredith passionately, and Meredith climbs over to get on top of him. "I'll always have the memories of how hot you look riding on it," Meredith says softly before leaning down to kiss him again.

"Then it was best purchase I've ever made," Andrew says between kisses.

The next morning Andrew is laying on his stomach with his right arm across Meredith's body when Amelia barges into the room and plops down on the bed near their feet.

"So Owen's been in therapy for awhile now, and we've been getting along pretty well. I love Leo too," Amelia says out loud not caring that Meredith and Andrew were asleep. "I don't know if I'll ever be over Owen...but Link… he's sooo lean. You know? He's got like zero body fat, and he's funny and he's sweet. It's just so much easier."

"Do we need to be here for this conversation?" Meredith says without opening her eyes or otherwise moving.

"I just don't know what to do, Mer," Amelia says before getting up and beginning to pace.

"Havv you mmmd coffee?" Andrew's words were muffled by his pillow. He hadn't moved off his stomach or lifted his face from his pillow before speaking.

"Yes, there's a whole pot," Amelia replies, and Andrew rolls out of bed and heads towards the bathroom.

"I'll leave you ladies to have your sister time. I'm gonna make breakfast," Andrew says as he closes the bathroom door behind him. Meredith finally sits up.

"You're happy with Link. Why mess with happy?" Meredith asks.

"That's the recurring question of my life," Amelia says plopping back down on the bed with a frustrated sigh. Meredith shakes her head.

"What do you want in your pancakes?" Andrew asks Ellis who is sitting at the table coloring. "Chocolate chips or blueberries?"

"Choc chips!" Ellis yells excitedly.

"Ok. One big chocolate chip pancake coming right up!" Andrew responds reaching for the chocolate. "Can you do me a favor sweetheart? Go ask your brother and sister what kind of pancakes they want." Ellis nods and runs off towards the stairs when there's a knock at the front door. Andrew leaves his bowl of batter and walks over to the door. He opens the door to see Dr. Lincoln on the porch.

"Hey," Link says smiling.

"Hi," Andrew says stepping aside to let him in.

"Amelia and I are going apartment hunting," Link says after stepping inside and following Andrew to the kitchen. "I texted her and she said she'd meet me down here."

"I... ugh didn't know you guys were moving in," Andrew replies.

"We aren't," Amelia says walking into the kitchen. "He's looking for his own apartment. I'm just tagging along. Moral support." Andrew just nods and turns to pour batter on the griddle. Amelia turns to look at Link and says to him, "We've got to get another sushi burrito today. Thanks for exposing me to that awesomeness by the way. I'm going to have to run another mile at the gym tonight." She smiles and walks over to kiss him on the lips enthusiastically. "Let's go find you a new place to live." Ellis runs past them on their way to the door.

"Hi, Thor!" Ellis yells at Link as she speeds by. Amelia looks confused at Ellis and then Link. Link just shrugs it off and reaches for the door.

"What did they want?" Andrew asks Ellis as she barrels into the kitchen.

"Choc chip waffles," Ellis says standing on her tippy toes at the island. Andrew walks around the island to face her.

"I'm making pancakes, guys" He starts to walk towards the stairs, but stops after a step. He smiles, turns, and walks over to grab the waffle iron. "Waffles it is," he says to himself. Ellis is already back at the table coloring.

While eating breakfast Meredith is unusually quiet. Andrew and the kids do most of the talking. While they are washing dishes Andrew decides to dig. "What's going on?" he asks while handing her a plate to dry.

"I'm just thinking about my research. I hit a brick wall awhile back, and it's been on my mind today," Meredith answers, and Andrew takes note that she's much more open with him now.

"Will you tell me more about your research?" Andrew asks, but his tone makes it clear he's not pushing. Meredith agrees and explains the dream she had and the ideas she's working on. They talk about more and more of her research over the next several weeks, and Meredith even gets some new ideas just by talking things through with him.

Meredith and Andrew are at the hospital reviewing some recent blood tests for a patient struggling with an infection. "It looks like gastroenteritis," Meredith says to Andrew walking towards the patient's room. Andrew is walking beside her, and then he stops. Meredith walks a bit further before realizing Andrew is no longer walking with her. She stops and turns. "What?"

"That's it," Andrew says looking at her with a growing grin on his face.

"That's what?" Meredith asks.

"AHL! We could build a device to detect acyl-homoserine lactone. That's how we can use the ingestible device to detect and monitor for infections in the gastrointestinal tract." Andrew says confidently. "That's the solution to your problem." Meredith turns and takes a step away from him, and then stops and turns back.

"That's genius," she says softly walking towards him. She walks up close and slaps him on the shoulder. "That's genius!" she is yelling this time. They high five, and after discussing the idea a little more they go back to discussing their patient's case and head to update the patient and her family. After updating their patient Meredith and Andrew head to the whiteboard. Meredith has two surgeries on the board for tomorrow.

"Dr. Bailey!" Meredith calls out to Bailey who is walking by. Dr. Bailey stops for her.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Grey?"

"Are you interested in getting in the OR tomorrow? I have two surgeries I need to hand off so I can get in the lab. I have a new idea I have to research. It could be huge," Meredith says excitedly. Bailey nods.

"You will owe me," Bailey says walking away.

"Thank you!" Meredith replies smiling.

"Yeah. Yeah," Bailey says without looking back.

Meredith turns and walks back over to Andrew. "I know you are on my service this week, but I'm not going to be in the OR now."

"You're going to be working on my new idea, right?" Andrew asks.

"Yes," Meredith replies. She is looking down at her tablet as they talk.

"I want to work on this with you. I think I can help. AHL was my idea, Mer," Andrew says and Meredith looks up at him surprised.

"Of course if I publish or trademark anything related to this research I'll give you credit for your contribution," Meredith says sitting her tablet down. "We need to go so we can pick up Bailey from Karate."

"I am not done talking about this. I want to work on this with you, Meredith. Do you not want that?" Andrew says as he pulls Meredith into the on call room.

Meredith walks towards the bunk beds and turns back to look at Andrew who is still standing by the door. She looks uncomfortable and replies, "Andrew, you're working with Alex, and you picked Pediatrics. I just think you should focus on Peds. Alex has really embraced teaching you. He was mentored by Arizona, and she changed his life. He wants to be that for you. He still wants to make up for what happened before."

"Jo became a fellow instead of becoming an attending," Andrew answers back.

"Bailey had a fellowship position to offer. I don't, Andrew," Meredith answers back walking towards him. She puts a hand on his chest and looks him in the eye. "Thank you for the idea. You'll get full credit. I'll keep you updated on all developments. Let's go get Bailey, ok?" She leans up to kiss Andrew quickly, and then he nods in agreement. She smiles and then walks past him towards the door. Disappointment is evident on Andrew's face as soon as Meredith looks away, but he puts on small smile and turns to follow her out of the room.


	13. Chapter 13

**It's been wayyy too long since I updated, but I hit some horrible writer's block, GoT season 8 left me upset for weeks, this season of Grey's ended, and well...life happened. I'm pretty sure I'll be wrapping this up in the next few chapters, but I do have some ideas for a new story based on where season 15 left off, so look out for that too. As always thanks for reading and leaving such supportive comments. -HB**

Andrew was in the Grey Sloan cafeteria eating lunch with Sam. They were in surgery this morning operating on a young patient with a bowel obstruction, and they have another surgery together scheduled for the afternoon.

"So you want to come over for dinner again?" Andrew asks between bites.

"That's the 3rd night this week. I'm not complaining, you can cook me dinner anytime, but don't you have a girlfriend you should be having dinner with sometimes?" Sam answered back. Andrew sits his fork down, and sits back in his chair, but doesn't answer right away. "What's going on?" Sam asks.

Andrew reaches for his water, takes a sip, and replies, "I haven't spent the night at Meredith's all week. I think we're in our first real fight." Sam nods and he continues, "Well, we aren't fighting so much as I'm upset, she clearly knows I'm upset, but she doesn't want to talk about it, so I'm giving her the cold shoulder."

"Andrew, can I give you some advice?"

"Something tells me even if I say no you'll give it to me anyways," Andrew says.

"No, if you don't want it I'll save my breath."

"Go ahead," Andrew says encouraging her to share her thoughts.

Sam takes another bite of her lunch, swallows, and then says, "Stop being ridiculous and talk to your girlfriend!" Andrew rolls his eyes and Sam laughs. "What? Were you expecting something more profound? Just talk to her. Life's too short." Andrew nods and they continue eating and discussing other topics.

Meredith is in the research lab fully engrossed in her work when Dr. Webber walks in.

"Hey Meredith, we're throwing a small party for Catherine's birthday next week, and I wanted to invite you and Dr. Deluca to attend." Meredith looks up from her work, smiles, and nods.

"I'd be delighted. Where will it be?"

"Jackson will be hosting at his place again. This time hopefully they'll be no fires," Webber says smiling.

Meredith thinks back to when Richard caught her and Andrew in Jackson's spare bedroom and her cheeks begin to turn red.

"I wouldn't miss it, but I'm unsure if Andrew can make it," Meredith replies. Her tone is slightly sad and Richard knowing her as well as he does doesn't miss it.

"Is there...something wrong?" Richard asks sitting down in the chair next to her. Meredith sighs and looks at Richard deciding if she wants to talk about it with him. In the end she chooses to unburden herself.

"Andrew is upset with me, because I won't let him work on this research with me. Building the device to detect AHL was his idea, and it's genius. So far all the research I've done proves the idea has immense potential to work. He, rightfully, wants to continue working on it with me, but I told him it's not a good idea." Richard nods taking in the information.

"Well, he just started focusing on Peds. Dr. Karev would hate to lose him," Richard replies.

"That's what I told him," Meredith responds.

"But that's not really what you're worried about is it?" Richard asks. Meredith sighs again, gets up from her chair, and starts to pace in the lab. Richard continues, "Derek was one of the most gifted surgeons I've ever hired. There was never a moment I doubted him. He always had my full trust. He could be a hard man though. Most of us surgeons are. It's our ambition that drives us to do great things, but it can make us hard to be with. I look back and I don't know how Adele put up with me all those years. She… loved me through it all. Her strength through everything amazes me still." Meredith sat back down next to Richard, and turned to face him as he talks. "Derek was hard on you sometimes. You both were so ambitious _and_ determined _and_ stubborn, and...you loved Adele. You wanted to help her. You made a mistake, and your mistake robbed you and Derek of a chance to do something potentially great. Working together was hard for you too." Meredith looks away visibly upset, but Richard continues, "You both struggled to make it all work, but I'm convinced if Derek was still here you would have. You loved each other too much to not figure it out eventually." Meredith looks back at Richard.

"I'm afraid of repeating the same mistakes. I don't want my relationship with Andrew to suffer the same hardships as my relationship with Derek," Meredith says in a low voice.

"He's not Derek, and you're not the same Meredith. You've been through so much. I don't think you could make the same mistakes again if you tried. I understand there are some… ahem...similarities between your relationship with Andrew and your relationship with Derek, but they're not the same men. Andrew understands you in ways maybe Derek couldn't, or more accurately I think he just accepts certain things about you that maybe Derek didn't. Your sometimes impulsive nature, your overwhelming compassion, and your willingness to break a few rules are part of why Andrew loves you. You make good partners in the OR and outside of it. If you really think Andrew is better served continuing with Alex and becoming an attending then talk it out, but don't decline working with him because you're afraid." Meredith smiles and nods. The man who is more like a father to her than the man who helped to make her gets up and walks towards the door of the research lab. "I'll get you the specifics on Catherine's party in a day or so."

"Richard?" Meredith says stopping him as he walks out of the lab. "Thank you." Dr. Webber nods and smiles then turns to walk through the door.

Meredith thought about what Richard said to her all the way over to Andrew's apartment. It had been a hard week with Andrew spending no time with her and the kids. The kids hadn't complained about Andrew not being there, but they had asked about him clearly noticing his absence. It scared her a little how they all had gotten so used to his presence around the house, but she was glad her kids had grown to want him around. She pulled up and got out without texting him to tell him she was coming over. She was glad to see his bike outside because it meant he was home. The "for sale" sign hanging off the back of it let her know he was still interested in selling it. She walked up to his door and heard people talking on the other side of it. She started to turn away and go back to her car, but the door opened.

"Meredith," Andrew said his surprise to see her evident in his voice. "What, uh, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I should have called first.

"Um, no. It's ok. Sam and I were…"

"No," Meredith interrupts, "I've just shown up with no warning.

Sam is standing next to Andrew and is holding her jacket and her purse. Sam interjects, "I was just leaving, Dr. Grey. Andrew was seeing me out." A car pulls up to the curb and Sam waves to get the driver's attention. "That's my ride. Goodbye, Andrew," Sam says warmly as she hugs him and walks past both he and Meredith to get outside. "See you later, Dr. Grey." Meredith says goodbye and Sam heads out to catch her ride.

"Come in, Mer," Andrew says while turning to walk back into his condo.

Meredith is suddenly nervous, but she doesn't know why. They've had disagreements before, but this one feels different. Maybe it was because it had gone on for a week. Maybe it was because there were no easy answers this time. Whatever it was left her feeling worried. She followed Andrew with her eyes as he went about picking up the bowls and glasses left behind from his dinner with Sam. Whatever he had cooked smelled amazing.

"Whatever you made tonight smells amazing," Meredith says loudly so he can hear her while he's in the kitchen.

"It's a vegetable soup my mom used to make. If you want some there's plenty," he replies.

"I'd like that if it's not too much trouble." A few moments later Andrew walks out with a bowl of soup and a glass of wine for her. She sits on his couch, and he hands it to her. She blows on her spoon, eats a spoonful, and hums with pleasure. "I've missed your cooking this past week." Andrew smiles and sits next to her on the couch. They don't say anything for a few moments as Meredith eats. She sets her bowl on the coffee table next to where she had sat her wine glass. She begins to talk, "I've missed you. The kids miss you." Andrew looks at her sadly but smiles.

"I've missed you guys too," he replies.

He says nothing more and Meredith continues, "I know you've been upset that I won't let you work on my research project."

"It's not just that, Meredith," Andrew interrupts to say, "You dismissed my feelings. You refused to listen to what I had to say, and you ended the discussion before it began. I know that I was upset when I told you on the roof that you make all the decisions in our relationship, and that was not exactly fair or accurate, but you do have a habit of… shutting down conversations you don't want to have. It frustrates me. It makes me feel like you don't care about what I think or what I have to say." Meredith knows what he's saying is true, and it stings to hear. "Yes, it also frustrates me that such an interesting research opportunity will pass me by, but your refusal to see me as an equal worth talking through issues with is the bigger problem here."

"I wish I could say that you're being unfair," Meredith replies. She reaches for her wine glass and takes a sip. "You aren't though. I'm really sorry for how poorly I've treated you on occasion. I can struggle with good communication. You're so open and you talk _everything_ out. It's kind of all new to me." She takes another sip from her glass. "Derek and I weren't the best communicators. Sometimes we kept things from each other. Sometimes we told lies. We often wouldn't say what was eating at us until we were in a fight. Don't get me wrong, when we were happy we were **happy**, but we had a lot of rough moments. Mostly due to bad communication. Derek and I almost completely fell apart while we were in the process of adopting Zola. We were working on an Alzheimer's study, I took a huge gamble, got caught, and the study was ruined. Derek was livid. He didn't support me through my mistake in judgement. It almost cost us everything." Andrew didn't know anything about any of this. He's surprised, but it explains her refusal to want to work together on the research project.

"Mer, you could have just told me all that," Andrew says softly. Meredith nods in agreement.

"I know. I'm learning that I can tell you anything, and more importantly that I need to communicate. We _are_ equals, Andrew and I need to hear you out too. I know that I can't just decide for the both of us when the conversation is over or decide unilaterally when a discussion should be had or not." Meredith stops for a moment and moves closer to him on the small couch taking his hand in hers. She continues, "I have been so worried, since you kissed me for the first time at Alex and Jo's wedding, that I would make the same mistakes with you that I made with Derek, but you're not Derek and I'm not the same young intern. I need to give you the benefit of the doubt, and I need to accept that our relationship is different. I have been so scared to make the same mistakes that I've inadvertently made new ones. I don't want to mess up what we have because I have been so focused on the past." Meredith takes another sip of her wine and sits the glass down. She readies herself for what she has to say next. "I know you want to work on the project with me. Your idea was genius, and the research I've done this week seems to indicate that it's definitely worth further research. This could be a game changing development. I have you and your brilliance to thank for that, but you're about to become an attending soon. You've just started your pediatrics career. Alex needs you. All of that is still true. I want you to continue to contribute to the project, if you want to, much the same way you have been. You've been such an incredible help to me, but I don't believe you should stop everything full time to work on this with me. I don't agree it's the best idea. That being said…" She pauses for a moment to let Andrew take in everything she's said then continues, "I'll leave it up to you, Andrew. This is _your_ career, and you should get to decide what's right for you. I'd love to work on this with you. I know how much you want to be apart of something groundbreaking. This could be it." Andrew sits back on the couch looking away from her now. He's running back the things she's said trying to compute all the information she's thrown at him.

"I need some time to think everything over, Meredith. Before you got here I thought there was no way you'd let me work on this with you," Andrew replies softly.

"There's plenty of time for you to decide," Meredith responds. She picks up her bowl of vegetable soup again and takes another spoon full. "Will you… come over tomorrow night? I know the kids miss your cooking too." Meredith says with a small smile. Andrew smiles back and nods.

They both talk about their week as Meredith finishes her dinner. They kiss for awhile, relishing the contact they've both missed over the last several days. Meredith would like nothing more than to take Andrew to bed, but she needs to get home to her kids. She hadn't planned for a night out. Andrew walks her to the door once Meredith is ready to leave, and they kiss again neither wanting to part. Meredith wishes Andrew would just come with her to her house to spend the night, but doesn't ask. Andrew doesn't offer. Things are better, but she feels like they won't fully be repaired until he's made up his mind and they can move forward one way or the other. Andrew watches her from his porch as she gets into her car. She gets in and waves to him as she backs out and pulls off. He waves back before turning to go inside. Meredith thinks about how much she loves him and respects him. She just hopes he knows it.


End file.
